Clash of The Talons
by GoldenAerie
Summary: Based on the one-shot "Outwards" (suggest: read first). This is a story about Jareth and his brother, a woman, and Sarah. In this story: brotherly torture, a deal broken, a journey through the labyrinth, spiders, Hoggle, romance...
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE: This was written because I had someone interested in reading more on the character of Aaron after reading a little one-shot called "Outwards" which was written for a fan fic challenge. I hope you enjoy this story.**

 **Two OC's, Jareth, Sarah, and others.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

1

It was a late-summer's eve and the sun was taking it's time in setting. A great horned owl was perched high in a dark spruce watching a family leave the botanical garden. The family seemed happy enough. It remained in its tree, watching as the family loaded into a small SUV and take off. The red book it was to deliver needed a family with a hint of discord; otherwise it would sit on some shelf until he could manage to collect it again. The owl's yellow eyes briefly followed a flittering songbird through the sky. It took off after the fast little bird, waiting for the right woman to show up.

The little songbird didn't have a chance against the fierce raptor. The owl plucked it right out of the air and kept going. Its talons dug into the songbird, stopping its brief fearful screech. The owl gracefully landed in the upper branches of a full tree and enjoyed ripping the small songbird to pieces. The owl moved around, watching the parking lot and main entrance to the botanical gardens. She should be here any time, if she stuck to her regular schedule. The owl gulped down the ripped off pieces of the small songbird.

He watched as the dirty black car pulled into a front parking spot. He bobbed his head, trying to make sure that it was the proper vehicle. He brushed his beak against his wing and waited. He flew a few feet to the next tree over, getting a better view. A woman emerged from the car. Today she had on boots, leggings, a tank top, and a bulky cardigan that made her petite form seem even smaller. He liked that she kept mostly to neutral earth colors, taking preference to grays, greens, and wine-colored maroons. As usual, her brown hair was tied back; today it was in a bun. The owl watched her slip things into the two deep pockets of her cardigan: some kind of food, an old ipod, a small journal and pencil, and finally her car keys. Within minutes she was heading into the gardens, music filling her ears, heading for her usual spot.

The owl waited for the woman to walk into the gardens before following her. He was faster than her. He landed in a tree that was near the fountain the woman liked to sit at. He liked the slight smell of decay that wafted from the fountain. It was overgrown with water plants, but in a charming way. The groundskeepers of the gardens had recently made the addition of fish to the fountain. The trail lights popped on as the setting sun dimmed enough for it to be noticeably darker, though it was still light out. The woman pushed her glasses up on her nose and pulled out her journal and pencil. The owl watched her sit cross-legged on the wide edge of the fountain, writing or drawing in her journal. The owl imagined that she was writing with the constant flourish of her pencil. He was excited and had to stifle a hoot. Nothing could become of this, he was sure, but that didn't sway him from watching and following this woman. The day before, he had followed her around the botanical garden until she had left with her constant glances over her shoulder towards the dark places around her. The day before that, he had followed her back to where she lived, which was a small old blue house. It wasn't much, but the yard was trimmed and flowers flourished in the flower beds. He had perched in the trees around her house, watching her through her windows. She kept it clean and had a few projects going that kept her busy. He noticed her bookcases that practically lined a wall, stuffed full of books, her clean drawing table next to an art folder bursting with work, and her writing desk with its dry erase board and various little pictures posted up. According to her dry erase board he could tell she had at least five different writing projects going on.

If owls could smile, he would have. He had watched her that night until she found a stopping point with her work, grabbed wine, and turned the television on. He wasn't sure if that's what she did every night, but he was determined to find out. For the most part, he had only watched her at the botanical garden.

She watched a few people pass by her and she pocketed her journal, trading it for a half sandwich. She got up and walked as she pulled the sandwich from the plastic wrap. The brown owl landed atop of a light post and watched her from the high perch. She ate the sandwich slowly. She stopped to smell some delightfully fragrant peonies. She watched a squirrel flick its tail and scamper across a small open space towards some hedges. She sat on a bench and watched the neon sky fade to a dark blue. Every so often, during all of this, she would bop her head to her music and pull out her journal to write something.

The brown owl followed her further into the garden. She eventually stopped her walking once the stars had finally begun to emerge in the sky and looked around with a confused look. The owl watched her hand dip into her pocket before pulling the ear buds from her ears, leaving the cord to drape around her neck. She looked around and promptly made a 180-degree turn. The brown owl recognized this, as it happened frequently. This woman would walk, deep in thought and completely on autopilot, until she finally realized that she wasn't sure where she had ended up. The owl was fairly certain that she kept coming back to the same place just so she could do this and not end up extraordinarily lost.

Tonight the brown owl hooted and it seemed to echo off the air itself. The woman stopped to look around for the source of the hoot and watched as two shady looking men walked out from another path just down the main path she was on. If she had kept walking, they would be walking nearly together. She looked around for the owl that had hooted, but saw nothing beyond the bright trail lights.

"Hey lady, you lost?" One of the men called out to her. They had turned and were coming her way.

"Nope" The woman said confidently. She put on a face of matching confidence and headed down the path towards them, towards her car.

"We can make sure you get to where you're going" The other man said as she approached them.

"That's nice, but I got it. Thanks" The woman said moving around them. Her mouth twitched with small victory as she stepped past them. It faded the moment one of the men grabbed her arm.

"Be nice now lady" The first one said. A rough hand covered her mouth and another pulled her into a dark shadow. The woman wiggled and kicked and thrashed around as best as she could. For all of her efforts, she was dealt a hard blow to her stomach. It was enough to make her knees give out and her struggling to cease, at least for now.

"Dumb bitch" The second man said with a laugh. He pulled the woman up to her feet and held her in place as the other man made a grab for her leggings. She threw one foot up, but only managed to block the man. He raised his hand and landed a stinging blow across her face.

The woman didn't quite see what happened, but the man who had dealt the blow to her face hit the ground with a thump. She looked up, glasses askew on her face, and found an exotic man standing in front of her with the hoodlum at his feet.

"I'd advise you to simply let her go and leave" The man said, his accent almost British, but not quite. The thug behind the woman tightened his grip. The exotic man briefly glanced at the woman with a dark expression. "Look peasant, I will give you until the count of three to let her go before you pay for your actions just as your friend has." He narrowed his eyes at the man. "One."

"This ain't my fault" The thug said defensively. "Not my idea!"

"Two" The exotic man counted. The thug made a sound that was nearly like "uh-uh" before releasing the woman from his hold and running off into the botanical gardens. The exotic man reached out for the woman and helped her down the path until they stood near the garden entrance and under the full light of a bright lamp. "Are you alright?"

"I should be okay" The woman said. She had righted her glasses and her face was pulled into a frown. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure" The man replied. He reached out and touched her cheek. She flinched at the gesture, but let him look. "You may end up bruised, but I think you'll live."

"I—Yes, thank you" The woman said softly. She looked towards the entrance.

"May I walk you to your car?" The man asked. The woman looked at the man's attire, not sure if her eyes were being deceived by the overhead light. He wore boots, tight trousers, what looked to be a belted jacket with embroidery, and a cape made of the same fabric.

"Sure" The woman said hesitantly. A man wearing an embroidered jacket and matching cape was not on her list of threatening individuals. The man smiled. It was then that she noticed that his eyes were a golden hazel. Her back flexed slightly, as if a hand finger had run up her spine. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aaron" The exotic man replied. He gestured for her to walk since she was getting antsy. "You are?"

"Tess" The woman answered with an automatic smile. Her hand plunged into her cardigan pocket and she retrieved her car keys. She clicked the auto-start and heard her car roar to life.

"Tess" Aaron repeated. He seemed to savor the simple act of saying her name, but Tess pushed that silly idea from her mind. "I've seen you around the gardens."

"You have?" Tess asked. Her brain sped through her last few visits to recall if she had seen him, but she couldn't place him. "I don't think I've seen you. I come here to think, so I don't notice many people."

"That's okay" Aaron replied. They walked through the entrance, directly into the parking lot. There was a scattering of vehicles in the lot, but not many.

"Thank you for helping me out, Aaron" Tess thanked Aaron again. Her face was beginning to throb and swell. They stopped in front of her car.

"It was my pleasure" Aaron softly replied. He took her free hand, bowed, and kissed it. Tess made a sound of protest, unused to such a grand gesture. His long brown hair formed a curtain around his head and her hand for a brief moment. It was then that she realized he had a few feathers woven into his hair. As soon as he released her hand, she drew it back and gestured to his hair.

"You have feathers in your hair" Tess stated. He nodded once.

"I do" Aaron replied. Tess took a slow step towards her car, keeping an eye on the strange man.

"Are you one of those Renn Faire people? SCA or something?" Tess asked. His coat and cape looked like it could be from a fairytale illustration. Aaron smile.

"I am not with anyone" Aaron replied. There was noise coming from the garden entrance. Tess and Aaron looked and watched as the two thugs ran for a truck parked across the lot. Tess watched as they got into the truck, started it up, yelled profanities at them, and speed off. She looked down when she heard the clank of her keys hit the asphalt. Aaron was right there, picking them up for her and standing protectively close. "They will not bother you again."

"Right" Tess said breathlessly. Her stomach lurched, but it wasn't enough to make her sick. Aaron tucked the keys into her hand and closed her fingers around them.

"Be careful driving, Tess" Aaron said softly. She turned and unlocked her car door.

"Do you need a….ride?" Tess asked as she opened her car door. When she looked up Aaron was nowhere in sight. "Aaron?" She looked around and saw no one, only an owl fly under the parking lot lamps until it flew beyond them. Tess's eyes grew huge and she hurried into her car, locking her doors as soon as she was in her seat. "I'm going mental."

* * *

The brown great horned owl flew speedily down the hill and caught up with the truck that had to make its way along the winding road. He could hear the heavy bass of the terrible music blasting from their vehicle and he could clearly see one of the thugs' arms hanging out from the open window, an unlit cigarette perched in the jerk's hand. It took the owl no time at all to dive down for the vehicle, talons and body ready for the collision and fight.

The owl flew through the passenger window and slammed into the driver's face. The truck fishtailed. The owl spread his wings and bounced around with his sharp claws bouncing off of the men's faces and exposed skin. The owl gave it perhaps fifteen very long seconds before making a leap out through the window. The owl left the vehicle and landed along the edge of the road. It watched as the truck continued to fishtail until it hit a tree and stopped – though the terrible music continued to blast from the vehicle.

* * *

Tess had made it home before too long. She had passed an accident down the hill from the gardens and was sure that it was the truck that belonged to the two men who had jumped her. There were two vehicles already pulled over, assisting and making calls on their phones. Tess felt her back shudder again.

"Assholes" Tess whispered to herself. She had said the same thing as she had passed the accident and she said it every time she thought of what had happened. Now she was unlocking her door and going into her house. As soon as she was inside, she locked her door and pulled out her cellphone. She ordered a pizza. Cooking was not something she wanted to do. She had them include a slice of chocolate cake since chocolate made bad things better. After she hung up, she hurried to the bathroom and took a quick shower.

The steam from the shower and the hot water made Tess feel better. Aside from the bruise that had started to form on her face, she emerged from the shower feeling more like her usual self. By the time she pulled on her pajamas and robe and turned the television on, her doorbell rang. She paid for her pizza and slice of cake, thanking the delivery guy in turn. The guy hurried back to his car and Tess was about to shut her door when she noticed the owl. There was an owl perched on her fence, watching her. Tess glanced over at the delivery driver, but he was already in his car and had started to back out. The owl remained perched on the fence, watching her. She flexed her shoulders a little, feeling that creeping feeling yet again, and shut the door.

Outside, the owl watched through Tess's windows as she took the pizza into the kitchen and emerged with a plate holding two slices of pizza that seemed to have a little bit of everything on it. There was a flash of white against the black night and the brown owl was accompanied by a smaller white barn owl. The barn owl looked interested in what the great horned owl was intensely watching. The larger owl gave the smaller owl a deathly look, but didn't act upon his dark thoughts. The barn owl screeched and flapped its wings. The great horned owl looked back at the house. He could see her slightly bruised face and it angered him. He made to take off, but the barn owl was on him making a show of his dominance.

Before the owls both flew away a little red book was left on Tess's doorstep and her doorbell was rung.


	2. Chapter 2

Tess awoke on her couch. The television had been left on and the callous light from it made her squint. She groaned and sat up. She wasn't a huge fan of falling asleep on her couch, not when there was a bed in the other room. Tess stretched her neck. She picked up her crumb encrusted plate and the container that once held chocolate cake. She took them to the kitchen and returned to the living room. She turned off the television and looked at the small red book on her coffee table. It had been left for her shortly after the pizza had arrived.

She sat back down on her couch and picked up the book, just to look at it. It was a book, a simple paperback book. It was fairly well-worn, indicating that it had been read through many times over. She turned the end table lamp on for light. Tess opened the cover, hoping for a name written inside, but there was nothing.

There was a knock on her front door. Tess closed the book and listened. Another knock. Tess slid the book into her robe pocket and went to look through her peephole. She flipped the switch for the porch light and stood on tip-toe to peer out of the peephole. The person was standing with their back to the door. All she saw was a head of brown hair…and a feather.

"Creepy" Tess whispered to herself. Another knock. Tess swallowed and loudly asked "What do you want?"

"Tess, I need to get that book back" Aaron called out to her through the door. "Do NOT open it."

"How do you know where I live, Aaron?" Tess asked. She looked around and grabbed a short knife that she often took with her on long hikes. She unsheathed it and took a deep breath.

"Tess" Aaron called out. Against her better judgment, she unlocked the door and opened it up. She held the knife up, firmly, between her and Aaron.

"You followed me" Tess said angrily. Aaron looked at the blade for an instant, but didn't really seem to care.

"The red book" Aaron said. "Please don't open it. Just give it back and I'll leave."

"What?" Tess asked. Her anger faded to an annoyed tone. She tilted her head slightly and let her free hand reach for the pocket with the book. "It's not acceptable for you to be here, Aaron." There was a flash of white in the sky and Tess noticed the small white owl outside. "Another owl? Geez."

Aaron looked behind him and spared no time pushing Tess into the house, stepping inside, and shutting the door. He locked the door and leaned against it.

"Don't go out there" Aaron ordered. Tess, somewhat mortified, stepped up and poked Aaron in the abdomen with the knife, enough so he would know that it was there.

"I want you to take your stupid book and leave" Tess growled at him. Aaron was fast and he demonstrated by pushing Tess and her knife back nearly in one smooth movement.

"Not now, Tess" Aaron replied. He peeked through the peephole and looked around, as if he was looking for something in particular.

"Who's out there?" Tess asked. She pulled the red book out from her robe pocket and held it out to Aaron. "Look, I don't want to get in the middle of your drama. Just take the book and go."

Aaron reached for the book, but his fingers couldn't get closer than two inches from the cover. He groaned and furrowed his brow. "You read something in the book."

"Just the title page" Tess said. "I was to see if it had a name penciled in it, you know, to see if it belonged to anybody." There was a knock at the door. "Ugh. This is insane."

"It's HIM" Aaron said with a touch a fear. "Until you say the words, he can't enter without permission."

"Enter without permission?" Tess repeated. She used the hand with the knife, pointer finger out, to poke Aaron angrily in the chest. "What the FUCK is going on? Whoever that is CANNOT come in here! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU IN HERE! GET OUT!" Aaron caught her wrist and wrenched the knife out of her hand, tossing it behind her. He jerked her forward, giving her an angry look with his golden amber eyes. "This is a goddamn home invasion and I won't stand for it."

"This is not a home invasion" Aaron replied. There was another knock on the door. "All I can do right now is take you away from him, and from here, but he will try to find us."

"You're not making sense" Tess said sharply. "Who is that out there? What do they want? What do you want?"

Aaron grabbed her hand that held the little book. "He is in here and he has come because of me."

"Oh great" Tess said with an eye roll. "Guess I'm all caught up now." She stepped back and pulled out of his hold, which had loosened. "Maybe I should read this book if it's the cause of problems, then I'd have some clue as to what is going on."

"In this case, ignorance is bliss" Aaron said. Tess stepped back and hit the switch for the living room lights. Tess nervously chewed on her bottom lip. Aaron was handsome, overly crazy and probably psychotic, but handsome. "Tess, please."

"No" Tess said firmly. "I'm going to put a stop to this." She put the book in her pocket. She waved her hand side to side at Aaron. "Step aside and watch how this is done."

Aaron crossed his arms. Tess stepped up to him and literally pushed him aside. She unlocked the door and opened it slightly. A tall, lithe figure with a wild mop of blonde hair, dressed all in black stood on her porch. She opened the door a little more.

"You cannot come inside" Tess said firmly. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"That is not the kindest of greetings" The blonde man said with a smirk.

"Yeah? No shit" Tess replied. "Look, I don't know what you want or what is up with this book, but you need to leave. Right now."

"As you wish" The blonde said stepping down from the porch. The smile remained on his face and became haunting. "I will be back."

"Go. Away" Tess ordered. She shut the door before he could reply and locked it. She turned to Aaron. "That is how it's done. Is he dangerous?"

"Unfathomably" Aaron replied. He moved to look out the peephole.

"I'll call the cops" Tess said looking around for her phone.

"He's gone" Aaron reported. Tess's face ached and all she wanted was sleep. She turned to Aaron and put a hand on her hip.

"Now for you" Tess said. Aaron looked down at her and smiled. She looked tired and her hair was messy. He liked how frumpy she looked in her grey bathrobe. He let her poke him in the chest. "What do you want?"

How was one to explain one's self to a woman such as this? Aaron could think of nothing to tell her other than the truth, so that is what he went with. "To protect you while you sleep."

"You followed me home" Tess accused. "You sent me some demon book!"

"Yes" Aaron replied. "It is only a magical book, not a demon book."

"That makes it all better" Tess quipped. She was grumpy, but she couldn't feel bad for snapping at him. She pulled out the book and moved away from Aaron. He followed her into the living room and took a seat in a side chair while she nestled up on the couch. "All this bullshit over some book."

"Yes" Aaron said with a nod. Tess looked up at him and thought about the owl from earlier. She shook her head and opened the book.

* * *

It was a quick read, taking Tess perhaps an hour and a half to get through. She didn't exactly time herself. During that time, Aaron hadn't moved from his chair. He simply sat there and either watched her or looked out the window from his seat. She announced her completion of the book by plopping it down on the coffee table.

"So…" Tess said reflecting on the book. "He, Jareth, is after you?"

"Not exactly after me" Aaron replied. "Perhaps more along the lines of 'payback for breaking the rules'…again."

Tess nodded and yawned. "The Goblin King can turn into an owl in that story."

"Yes, he can" Aaron replied. Tess watched as he absently scratched at his dark sideburns. The time felt like it was passing slowly, but she figured that it was due to realizations coming to a head.

"You're that owl, aren't you?" Tess asked. "The one from the botanical gardens."

"It's just a form I can take" Aaron whispered. He was staring intently at her now with his owlish amber eyes. Tess couldn't tell how she felt. Her brain simply told her that she was tired. She just sat there looking at him, his features, his strange clothes, everything.

"I don't think I can deal with this right now" Tess said softly. She stood up and moved to stand next to his chair. "I will allow you to stay here, on the couch, until morning. No owl droppings and no owl pellets. Got it?"

"Absolutely" Aaron replied. He remained in the chair, even when she turned the main lights out. For a moment she wondered if she was being a complete idiot, but her brain made some kind of logic out of Aaron not making any moves and wanting to protect her…blah blah blah. She picked up her knife and went to her bedroom without a word.

* * *

Tess slept poorly which was no big surprise. She had slept in her pajamas and robe with the knife under her pillow and with constant thoughts about the stranger in her living room. She sat up and switched her pajama pants for a pair of tan equestrian-style trousers. She listened and slid her robe off. She was trying to be stealthy; the last thing she wanted was this man in her bedroom. She pulled out a simple black t-shirt and bra, which she quickly changed into. She grabbed a cardigan and headed for the bathroom.

After peeing, Tess quietly made her way into the living room. Aaron was standing at the window.

"Someone out there?" Tess asked.

"Just watching things" Aaron said distantly. He stepped away from the window and turned to face her. "You didn't sleep very long."

"Of course I didn't" Tess said in a grumpy tone. She moved towards the kitchen. "I have a stranger in my house."

Tess entered the kitchen and pulled a bag of coffee from the fridge. She went through her usual process of grinding some beans and getting a pot of coffee ready. As the coffee pot whirred to life, she went to slip her black boots on. Aaron watched her and then followed her back into the kitchen.

"I'm really not a stranger" Aaron replied. "You must have seen me around."

"I met you last night" Tess replied firmly. She pulled two cups from a cabinet and poured coffee into them. She handed a mug to Aaron. "Were you up all night?"

"I was" Aaron replied. He sipped at the drink and succumbed to its charming flavor. "I believe we should leave soon."

"Leave? What are you talking about?" Tess asked. She sipped her coffee. "I'm not going anywhere."

Aaron's hand slipped to his belt, opening a pouch, and retrieving a small gold token. He placed it on the counter between them. Aaron raised his eyebrows in a silent gesture for her to look at the item.

"What is it?" Tess asked. She reached out and looked at both sides. It was simply a coin; though not one she was familiar with. "It's a coin."

"I'm glad you have accepted my gift" Aaron said with a small smile.

"Gift?" Tess asked with a sip of coffee. "Why did you say it that way?" She sipped her coffee and then looked at her cup. There were crushed leaves floating around. "What's in my cup?"

Aaron set his cup down and stepped closer to Tess. "I'm sorry, Tess. Just a little sleight of hand." He moved the cup from her hand, placing it on the counter. She wobbled a little, putting a hand to her head. She stepped back, away from Aaron. She felt faint. "Don't fight it, Tess."

It took a few more seconds and she began to slump. Aaron caught her and they left the human world.

* * *

 **NOTE: Jareth will definitely make a strong appearance in the next chapter! Promise!**


	3. Chapter 3

It was her nose that alerted her to her new location. It was the warm, inviting smells of baking bread and food being cooked. Before she opened her eyes, she could hear the crackle of something being cooked in grease. Tess opened her eyes and felt her stomach gurgle.

"Aaron?" Tess managed while trying to push the grogginess from her mind. She could see him at the stove. His cape and coat were off and his hair was tethered back. He turned and smiled.

"The food is just about ready" Aaron told her. Tess moved to sit up. She was on a wide cot. A cot just outside of the kitchen. Her head slowly spun and she tried pushing it away by rubbing her forehead.

"Where are we?" Tess asked. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and found Aaron kneeling next to her with a glass of water.

"This should help with that" Aaron said lightly. Tess looked at the water for a moment, but saw nothing seemingly wrong with it. She took it with a light 'thank you' and took a long drink. "We are at my place. It's safe."

"Was there ever any real danger?" Tess asked. Aaron just gave her a small smile and helped her up.

"Take a seat at the table" Aaron ordered. "I'll bring you a plate of food."

Aaron had taken the glass from her, placing it on the small wooden table on his way to the stove. Tess watched as he served up two plates of sausage and some kind of mixed roasted vegetables. He placed the plates on the table before heading back to pull a loaf of hearty looking bread from the oven. He placed the loaf onto a board with a knife and grabbed a few utensils.

"You made bread?" Tess asked.

"I had the time" Aaron told her. He sliced off a steaming chunk of bread and handed it to her. It smelled incredible.

"Why is there a cot over there?" Tess asked. Aaron gave her a strange and amused look. "I mean, most people don't sleep this close to their kitchen."

"Oh" Aaron said with a small chuckle. "It's the emergency cot. I have found, over the years, that I tend to find those who need assistance."

Tess automatically started eating the food in front of her while her mind was taking in everything that had recently occurred. It wasn't until she was halfway finished with her food when she spoke again. "Will you tell me what exactly is going on?"

"I have" Aaron said simply. "You read that book."

"What exactly does the Goblin King want from me?" Tess asked. "What does that have to do with you?"

"He wants you to wish someone away to the Labyrinth" Aaron replied, as if he was speaking to a young child. "Obviously."

"That's just dumb" Tess replied. "I'm single and I work from home. I don't have anyone to wish away to the Labyrinth. I don't even have a cat or anything." She finished her water and eyed Aaron. "I suppose I could always wish **you** away."

"I'm sure he would reject that" Aaron said with a sigh.

"How do you know?" Tess asked. "Maybe I should do it and just get it over with."

"You can try, if it would ease your mind" Aaron replied. He speared a roasted carrot. "Let me eat first."

Tess watched him eat. The feathers tied in his hair would fall forward when he bent his head to take a bite from his fork, and then fall straight when he picked up his head. Her mind naturally tried associating colors and actions to other things. She associated his hair with roasted chestnuts and his eyes to amber honey. He was delightfully tanned, but not to the point of having a leathery-look.

"Are you going to eat?" Aaron asked her. She gave a slight 'hmm?' in question and realized that she had been blatantly staring at him. She felt the uncontrollable blush through her face.

"Yeah" Tess replied. "Sorry. I was just…thinking." Tess finished up her food, taking mental notes of Aaron watching her while he finished his food. As soon as she was done with the meat and vegetables, Aaron took her plate. "It was very good. Thank you."

"Sometimes simple is best" Aaron told her. He stood over a large basin and took a minute to wash the plates and forks. Tess ate her bread and brought her glass over to Aaron, who immediately cleaned it.

"So…" Tess said leaning against the counter. She hated to start a sentence by saying 'so' and let the pause expand. "You can change into an owl?"

"I can, yes" Aaron replied. He was scrubbing at his roasting pan that had held the vegetables. Tess's lips pulled into a slight smile. Immediately taking care of the dishes was automatic for him. She liked knowing that she was able to see something that exposed who he was.

"Why were you hanging around me? I mean, you ended up being of great help with those two guys last night, but you could fly anywhere if you're an owl" Tess said. Aaron glanced over at her, briefly. She was thinking about traveling and he could almost see what she was thinking.

"Maybe I found something that I wanted to be around" Aaron said with a shrug.

"What is your connection to that red book?" Tess asked.

"Paying off a debt is all" Aaron said cryptically. Tess looked at him, waiting for an answer. He set the pan aside to dry and rinsed his hands. Being this close to Aaron, Tess realized that she was at least a head shorter than him and she had the strange feeling of smallness. She wasn't sure how to explain it to people who weren't petite other than it felt suddenly as if she were growing smaller and could possibly disappear. The feeling always passed quickly. Aaron stepped around the basin and invaded any kind of personal space Tess had.

"A debt?" Tess whispered. She naturally leaned slightly back against the counter at his closeness. His leg touched hers and he leaned over to retrieve a hand towel. A smirk graced his face, knowing that he was making her slightly uncomfortable.

"Hand towel" Aaron said softly. He took a small step back and made a show of drying his wet hands. "Years ago I interfered with one of the Labyrinth runners."

"What did you do?" Tess asked. Aaron set the towel down on the counter beside Tess and stepped in to touch the counter on the other side of her as well. He could smell her fear and her attraction to him, as well as her curiosity.

"I gave directions to his castle" Aaron replied in a soft voice. He gave her a smirk and leaned in so he was inches from her. "I was in the middle of tracking a deer. I really could have cared less about the idiot who wished someone away."

"Well I—" Tess began, but cut herself off. "Um—"

"Yes?" Aaron asked. He watched her stumble over herself. She would start to form a word, react to his proximity, glance at his eyes or mouth, and loose her words.

"Step back?" Tess finally asked. Aaron obliged. As soon as he was far enough back, Tess carried right on with her questions while stepping away from Aaron. "You just gave directions and that made you owe a debt?"

" _Interfering with royal affairs_ was the phrase he used" Aaron said. "I was left in an oubliette longer than I care to ever repeat, and then I became indebted."

"Who is he?" Tess asked. Aaron pulled the leather thong from his hair, letting it fall over his shoulders.

"One of my older brothers" Aaron replied. Tess tightened her lips. Aaron left the kitchen with Tess following him. "We've always butted heads, but he usually allows me to hunt in his kingdom. I just happened to help the wrong person."

"And now you've helped the wrong person again" Tess finished. Aaron's place was definitely a cabin and had strange furniture of a fantasy-rustic nature. Tess touched a carved ram's head that protruded from the frame of a leather chair. Aaron stopped behind a matching chair.

"You can sit if you'd like" Aaron replied. Tess looked at the sitting area. "I wouldn't call you the wrong person."

"Right" Tess replied. She moved around the chair and sat down. She looked up at him, expecting him to sit, but he didn't. Instead he walked away and stripped his shirt off.

"I'll be back in a moment" Aaron called over his shoulder. Tess watched him walk away, disappearing through a doorway. As soon as he was gone, she let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. The room around her was pretty much all wood and leather. The rug between the chairs and couch was a deep crimson red and was the most prominent color in the room aside from two paintings on the walls. Tess stood up and looked at the smaller, closer one. It was a small landscape painting with mountains, trees, and a river. It seemed fairly manly and like something Bob Ross might have created. Tess moved over to the other painting and smiled. The style of it would be considered pre-Raphaelite by most standards. A beautiful woman was tethered by thorny rose vines while a gallant white knight was caught in mid-battle with an evil looking armored troll figure.

"Isn't it lovely?" Aaron asked. He moved and brushed up against the back of Tess. She hadn't heard him or even seen him come back into the room. One of his hands fell to her waist while the other pointed to the clenched hand of the troll. It was holding a necklace. "It's an old story that not many aboveground know about. Tristan, the knight, fought for his true love's virtue. The necklace is a symbol of her value and where her heart lies."

"It's very different than your other painting" Tess replied. She looked at the woman. "What's her name?"

"Callea" Aaron replied. Tess felt his thumb rub against her back in small circles.

"If this troll guy has her necklace, wouldn't he have her heart?" Tess asked. "How do you know who is good and who is bad?"

"Just…that's just how the story is told" Aaron finally replied. Tess moved away from Aaron, heading for the large bookcase. He had changed from an off-white shirt to one the color of a green grape.

"How long am I stuck here?" Tess asked. She was embarrassed with herself, allowing him to breach her personal space.

Aaron shrugged, but never let his gaze drift from her. "Say the words, wish me away. So far, there's only been one who has managed to get through the Labyrinth."

"You said that he would reject it" Tess said. "What exactly happens to you if I wish you away?"

"I honestly do not know" Aaron replied. He moved over to her and stretched his neck. "Alright, I think I'm ready."

"We came here to get away from him" Tess stated. "Why should I wish you away?"

"To give you a chance to win your freedom" Aaron replied. "Otherwise he would just take you."

"For personal freedom then" Tess said with a nod. "I wish the goblins would take you away." Aaron took a deep breath and sadness touched his eyes. "Right now."

Silence filled the cabin. Tess looked around, not sure what she had been expecting. Silence had not been it.

"Did I say it ri-?" Tess asked. She let out a startled cry when Aaron tumbled backwards. Small dark creatures surrounded him, giggling. "Aaron!"

"Aaron" A deep, rich voice said with a slight chuckle. Tess turned around and behind her, just feet away, was the blonde man from the night before. He was in deep black clothing and a cape of midnight. "Hello there."

"You're Jareth, the Goblin King" Tess said. Jareth gave a slight bow and flourish of a hand. "Can we talk this over?"

"I do believe what's said is said" Jareth replied. He shot a victorious grin to his brother. "I believe my brother owes me, yet again. Perhaps this time it's the dungeons for him."

"Now wait a second" Tess protested. Jareth flicked his hand her way and Tess gagged. A toad emerged from her mouth and leapt to the floor. Tess made a sound of disgust.

"Brother, you are not lucky" Jareth chided. With a flick of the wrist his brother was suspended in the air, the goblins around him falling to the floor. Jareth moved to stand next to Tess and closer to his brother.

"Why don't you just leave her alone, Jareth?" Aaron said. Jareth turned to Tess and twirled a crystal around his fingers.

"I have a gift for you Tess" Jareth said with a smile. The crystal came to a halting stop at the tips of his fingers. "Would you like it?"

"The last gift I received from a strange man landed me in this place" Tess replied. "I think I'll pass."

"Are you sure? This will show you your dreams" Jareth replied. Tess shook her head 'no'.

"I think I know my dreams, but thanks" Tess said. She looked over at Aaron, who hung in the air quietly.

"Dungeons for Aaron, but first" Jareth said grabbing Tess. He stole a kiss from Tess, much to his brother's chagrin, before sending him away to the dungeons and Tess to a starting point on the outer edge of the Labyrinth.


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE: For everyone who loves Jareth...This is for you.**

* * *

Tess shoved against Jareth until she landed on her butt. She looked around her at the barren land. A warm breeze brushed past her. She stood up and looked around, taking in her change of scenery. Jareth loomed over her, smiling like the cat that got the canary. If Aaron was tall, Jareth was a little taller. He wasn't as muscular as Aaron and his skin was fairly pale, making him appear as his brother's opposite.

"You must reach my castle within thirteen hours" Jareth informed her.

"What did you do with Aaron?" Tess asked. Jareth's mouth flinched and he leaned in a little towards the woman.

"He's chained to a wall" Jareth said conspiratorially. He walked past her to stand at the edge of the ledge that they were on. "I will come and see you my dear, but for now I have to tend to my brother."

She watched him fade away before beginning her journey.

* * *

Shedding the black garb he generally wore to make his grandiose appearances aboveground, Jareth appeared before Aaron in his daily attire of tight trousers, boots, vest, and flowing shirt opened to his waist. Aaron pulled against the chains that held him against the wall.

"Jareth!" Aaron yelled. "You rat bastard!"

"You're feisty today, Aaron" Jareth said. He leaned against the wall, just out of Aaron's reach. "I think she may just like me. What do you think?"

"Leave her alone" Aaron said. Despite the fact that he couldn't reach Jareth, he still tried with some hope that the chains would give from the wall. "She's not your type."

"Tell me, brother" Jareth said with a grin. "What is my type?"

"Not. Her" Aaron replied. Jareth stood up straight and squarely faced his brother.

"Aaron, we had a particular deal that you did not keep to" Jareth stated. "Your five years was nearly up and you blew it." Jareth stepped in closer to his brother, the chains keeping Aaron's hands from reaching him. "You blew everything over a girl."

"What about that last runner you had through here?" Aaron snapped. "I hear that you let her pass through the Labyrinth without much danger." He pulled again against the chains and started to slice open the skin at his wrists. "Sounds like you blew everything over a girl."

Jareth narrowed his eyes, smiled, and delivered a solid blow to his brother's jaw.

"You're here because you couldn't follow the rules" Jareth growled at his brother. He tugged on his gloves and stepped back. "Now, what shall I do to teach you that you should follow the rules?"

* * *

Tess had figured out how to enter the Labyrinth and was currently running down a narrow corridor. She passed yet another patch of eye lichen and gave the strange thing wide berth. She felt along the walls and watched the top of the tall walls for any openings. She nearly tripped over one of the many branches that littered the corridor. She dragged her hand along the wall until she finally found an opening.

"About time" Tess said aloud. She stepped through and looked at the directions – the left and the right. She turned left and hoped for the best. The passageway turned left, then right, then left again, and another right before going straight. Tess looked around. The straight corridor had several openings, making Tess think of old Scooby Doo cartoons where they run from door to door either chasing the monster, being chased by the monster, or chasing each other.

"Hello?" Tess called out. Ahead she could see more eye lichen. She hurried over to the eye lichen and sat across from it. "Looks like you're it pal."

Tess took a minute to stretch her arms out and her neck. Her sense of direction was telling her that she was heading in the right direction, but she wasn't sure if she was. She couldn't see anything beyond the walls. The castle couldn't be seen and the Labyrinth was eerily quiet. It wasn't anything like the descriptions in the book. Where were the creatures? Weren't there supposed to be creatures?

"Any idea on the time?" Tess asked the eye lichen. She stood up and stretched her legs out. The plant followed her movements, but was silent. Tess took off down the corridor until she came to a dead end.

"You are getting quite far, aren't you?" Jareth said with a laugh behind her. Tess turned and found him leaning against the stone wall looking fairly relaxed.

"This place isn't anything like the book" Tess told him. He shrugged and stood up, pacing and walking circles around her.

"Is that what you were expecting?" Jareth asked. "Perhaps a friendly dwarf or a chatty little worm?" Tess crossed her arms as he circled her. "Perhaps you would like my assistance?"

"I would like to know if Aaron is alright and how to get out of here" Tess replied. Jareth smiled and stopped in front of her.

"I would gladly take you back to the beginning" Jareth told her. Tess stepped past him and headed for the last turn she could have made. Jareth followed her. "You seem quite determined for someone who knows relatively little about the idiot residing in my dungeon."

"You're not much help" Tess replied. She took the turn and hurried to figure out her way.

"I could tell you about him" Jareth offered. Tess looked over at him. Jareth's long legs made it easy for him to keep up with her. "He is one of my youngest brothers, but a middle sibling overall." Tess glanced at him, but kept her eyes open for a new opening to her right. "There are seven of us."

"What are you? The oldest of seven?" Tess asked.

"Second oldest" Jareth replied. Tess nearly fell through an opening, but found that Jareth had reached out to stabilize her. "My older brother, Sebastian, became a high priest."

"I suppose that is why you are king here. The title went to the next in line" Tess said. Jareth nodded 'yes'. Tess kept moving. "I understand how lines of succession work."

"Aaron was avidly against my rule of the Labyrinth since the start" Jareth stated. "He has led two revolts against me, but we, the Labyrinthians, culled the revolts and re-established the staples of the kingdom including the legendary Goblin Market and various tradeshows."

"Aaron seems like he just wants to be left alone to do his own thing" Tess said absently.

"Aaron has never had to deal with responsibility, aside for himself" Jareth said sternly. He raised a hand to indicate his surroundings. "I have a whole kingdom to consider." Jareth stopped walking and watched Tess try to climb to the top of the Labyrinth wall. She found a foothold, pulled herself up a few feet from the ground, and slid down in a stumble. She tried it again, hoping to grab onto a protruding gargoyle head that lined this particular section of wall. "That usually does not work."

Tess tried again, this time hurrying to snap a hand up to the protruding head. As soon as she grabbed the head, she pulled herself up enough until she was able to find a higher foothold.

"Be careful up there" Jareth called to her. She didn't look down. If she had, she would have seen that she had managed to climb nearly twelve feet. With some luck, she pushed herself upward and grabbed hold of the top of the wall. In the distance she saw the castle against a lovely aqua sky.

"I see it" Tess said with a smile. Her foot slipped and she dropped a few inches. She scrambled to regain her foothold. She felt something under the ball of her foot and decided to climb back down. Jareth was leaning against the corridor, smirk on his face. "I'm getting there."

Jareth waved his hand and a clock appeared, hovering in the air. "You look as though you have plenty of time, only eleven hours left." He moved towards Tess. He always seemed to move, even when he was still. "You are quite the clever thing."

Jareth was handsome, but in a completely different way than his brother. Jareth's features were sharper, more angular. He was pale and slim and every inch what she would expect an other-worldly being to look like. Beyond the obvious beauty of his features, Tess was surprised to find a predatory quality that exuded danger. If didn't know that he could change into an owl, she was sure she would have guessed that he could change into a large cat with sharp claws and fangs. Tess took a few steps down the corridor and found herself blocked by Jareth.

"Excuse me" Tess said. She moved around him, but Jareth circled around and stayed ahead of her. "Jareth!"

"What does he see in you?" Jareth asked. He reached out and gently moved her chin one way, then the other. "Ah, yes. Alexandria's genesis. Very uncommon for humans."

"What?" Tess asked. She pushed his hand away from her face.

"Violet eyes" Jareth clarified. "Though, yours are a dull grey-violet. Still lovely."

"Thank you" Tess replied automatically. She inwardly cringed at her politeness. What she really wanted to do was return to solving the Labyrinth.

"What do you do?" Jareth asked softly. He was close enough he didn't have to talk loudly. "Are you a hunter? Park ranger?"

"I work from home" Tess told Jareth. "I'm a writer."

Jareth looked at her quizzically. His brother had flouted artists of any kind, except for the occasional wood carver. She was petite, plain, and her only exceptional visual quality was her eyes. He examined her with no shame, but was not able to see what his brother apparently saw. He watched her pull her mouth into a tight line and he nearly laughed when she pushed past him. Perhaps it was her spunk.

Jareth turned to watch her hurry down the corridor. His smile broadened. Perhaps it was her fairly well-developed rear end.

Over the next hour or so Jareth followed Tess. They walked in a circle, they walked towards the castle and away from it, and now they were on a path that was leading towards a waterfowl sanctuary. Tess stopped and listened when they were close enough to hear the birds. She didn't ask any questions, simply kept on her own path until stone gave way to a field of bright green grass, a large pond, and hundreds of birds.

"Oh my gosh" Tess said looking around. The birds were noisy. Some were nesting in small groups while others were swimming or socializing. She stopped near a tree and watched the birds. "There's so many of them."

"This is waterfowl sanctuary" Jareth told Tess. He stood near her, rolling things around in his mind. "The birds were under constant attack until I built this safe haven for them."

"They seem happy" Tess commented. She flashed Jareth a smile. Her fingers twitched and Jareth watched her ball her hands into fists for a moment. When they opened she moved on, walking along the edge of the sanctuary. Tess watched as two swans landed together in the water. The birds honked and paddled along.

"You seem like a fairly generous man, Jareth" Tess finally said as they reached the opposite end of the sanctuary. There was an opening between some hedges that Tess was heading towards.

"I do try" Jareth replied. "Not everyone can be pleased by generosity though."

"I don't believe you should ever aim to please everyone" Tess said as they passed between the hedges. "You'll be disappointed every time."

"Be happy with those you do please? Is that what you're getting at?" Jareth asked.

"Yes" Tess said. She stopped when they reached a small courtyard with an empty bench. "How can I convince you to let Aaron go?"

"Back to that, are we?" Jareth asked disdainfully. The courtyard was surrounded by a mix of stone and hedge to form walls while various flowers and vines were scattered about providing aesthetic variety. Jareth reached out and brushed his gloved fingers over a few orange flowers. "What are you willing to do for his release?"

"I'm not really sure what would be appropriate" Tess replied.

"Would you take his place in the dungeons?" Jareth asked. "Maybe servitude for a year for his release? Or, a public flogging instead."

Tess crossed her arms. None of the options sounded fun. "What are you having done to him right now? For all I know he's at your castle have tea and crumpets while I'm being made the fool. Wouldn't it be silly to agree to something before I have the details?"

Jareth stuck to his position by the flowers, touching and smelling them. With a gesture so well practiced it was effortless; he produced a crystal, rolled it impossibly over his hand, and held it out for her. Tess took the crystal and look into it. She could see Aaron chained to a stone wall. His green shirt was wet with sweat and spots of blood. Three little goblins stood in front of him with long thin sticks. They would laugh and hit him. Tess watched as a new circle of blood formed on his shirt from his chest. The stick, acting like a whip, would draw just the tiniest amount of blood. Tess cringed and made a disgusted sound. She gave a hard toss to the crystal and Jareth caught it before it could hit him.

"Barbaric!" Tess hissed at him.

"He'll be bruised, but it's not that bad in the scheme of things" Jareth replied. He spared a glance at the crystal. "He does look a bit pathetic doesn't he?" Jareth tossed the crystal over his shoulder. He sniffed the air, as if he had just caught the aroma of something delicious. He laid a predatory gaze on Tess and stalked towards her. "What is your relationship with my brother?"

"We don't have a relationship" Tess replied. She backed up, caught off guard at his change in mood.

"Do you hold hands? Have you shared a kiss?" Jareth asked in a light tone. Tess almost had to strain to hear him. Instead, she could feel her heart race suddenly and the blood pounding in her ears. Any noises that might have been were lost as Jareth crept towards her with his terrible glare. "Perhaps" Tess backed up against a stone portion of wall with a trailing rose vine. Jareth placed his left hand against the wall, near her head, effectively trapping her. He leaned over so they were eye to eye. "The two of you had quite the night together."

"We don't have a relationship" Tess whispered. She was not expecting her voice to be caught in her throat as it was.

"What do you have?" Jareth asked. "No silly agreements without the details, Tess. You didn't seem overly thrilled to see either of us when we first met."

"I wasn't" Tess replied. She pushed his wild hair from her face. Blonde tendrils were brushing against her thanks to the constant light wind through the Labyrinth.

"He convinced you otherwise" Jareth stated. Tess mindlessly chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking about it.

"Not exactly" Tess replied.

"He did something to win your initial trust" Jareth prompted. Tess risked a glance to Jareth's eyes. She wasn't sure if he was angry or curious or just trying to be creepy, but she felt as if he would rip her apart.

"He saved me from two thugs" Tess informed him. "He didn't have to."

"He saves you and you went home" Jareth reported. Tess gave a slight nod.

"It wasn't too long after I got home that I found that book on my doorstep" Tess said. "Then, at some point in the night, he was banging on my door and you showed up."

"He quite literally barged into your life" Jareth commented. His hand fluttered as he spoke. "Whisked you away to a magical realm after that?"

"I—He—" Tess found herself distracted by Jareth's proximity. He smelled like peaches and cinnamon. "He put something in my coffee."

"My, that's a classic Fae move" Jareth said with a smile. "He drugged you and took you away." He leaned in and whispered to her. "That's not very gentlemanly of him."

Tess tripped over her words until she shook her head and took a deep breath. "I think he meant well."

"Do I make you nervous?" Jareth asked. A smirk tugged at his lips and his eyes sparkled mischievously.

Tess swallowed and shook her head 'no'. "Of course not. You're just…standing so close."

"What have I done Tess? Tell me" Jareth asked in his half whisper. A gloved finger touched her jaw. "What did I do?"

"You?" Tess asked. "You came that night."

"For?" Jareth prompted. Tess's mind blanked and all she could do was shrug. "To keep an eye on that lout." He gave it a second to sink in. "Didn't I do everything you asked?"

"I don't really remember" Tess whispered. Tess was nearly dizzy with her mind racing and the smell of peaches. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She felt Jareth's gloved hand on hers and she snapped her eyes open.

"I've been here, making sure you are accompanied while finding your way" Jareth whispered. "Isn't that kind?"

"You—You made a toad crawl out of my mouth" Tess whispered. "That was disgusti-"

Jareth's lips brushed against hers and then he drew her in for a deep kiss. He pulled her to him and felt her body stiffen. She made a startled whimper before pushing at his chest. Jareth let her go, gently.

"You taste nothing of toads" Jareth informed her. He stepped back from her, smiling at her deer-in-headlights expression, and faded away.

Tess waited until she was sure he was gone before sliding to her knees. "Oh man."


	5. Chapter 5

NOTE: RIP David Bowie.

* * *

Aaron was unceremoniously dropped into what was deemed _the royal cell_. It was indeed a cell and in the dungeon, but featured a good size bed, a claw-footed bath tub, and a writing desk – all standard fare between kingdoms for most royals and high nobility. It took awhile, but eventually Aaron stirred and slowly picked himself up from the floor.

The goblins had hit him with _whacker sticks_ , as they called them, until he had passed out. His shirt was only green in patches now and his body felt like one big bruise. Aaron stumbled to the bed and with a deep breath, he pulled his shirt off. His muscles resisted the movements and his skin reacted with stinging pain. When the goblins had finished with his front, they had turned him around and attacked his back. It was a punishment unique to the Labyrinth, devised early on by a young Jareth who had to place fear with those revolting against him, but who he refused to kill. The whacker sticks would leave one primarily bruised with some welts, but fully capable of returning to work after a day or two.

Aaron steadied himself on the bed and kicked off his boots. He was thankful for the little things, such as his legs and feet, where his boots had covered, having not been affected by the whackers. With great effort he pushed himself up from the bed and hobbled over to the tub. He turned the knobs and let the water flow. The sound of water was welcoming and Aaron nearly let out a joyful cry. He stood up straight and undid his trousers. Getting into the tub was more of a controlled fall, followed by a splash.

Aaron put the stopper in the drain and the tub began to fill up with lukewarm water. It felt as if it were burning his skin with all the welts and bruising.

"Aaron!" Jareth called from beyond the bars of the cell. Aaron didn't respond. He just watched the water slowly fill the large tub. Regardless, the sound of Jareth's steps echoed over the water until Jareth perched on the edge of the tub, a bottle in his hand. "I just spent the last few hours with your lady-love. She's quite plain, but she does have a certain je ne sais quoi. Bubbles?" Jareth unscrewed the bottle and poured a healthy amount of liquid into the water. It burned relentlessly at Aaron's cuts and he gave a small groan. "It has aloe, for healing."

"What did you do with Tess?" Aaron asked. Bubbles started to reach his chest, stinging the open sores that were scattered up to his neck. Jareth turned the water off as soon as the tub was filled, reached into the bubbles, and pulled one large bubble out of the micro-bubbles. It floated and displayed Tess's current whereabouts. She was wandering through the hedge maze on the eastern side of the Labyrinth. "She looks unharmed."

"Yes, she's fine" Jareth replied. His lips curved upwards ever so slightly. "Perhaps a bit confused, but fine."

"Confused in what way?" Aaron asked. Most of the stinging had stopped and the swelling felt as if it was starting to reduce, but he could feel the bruises fully developing.

"We had a long talk" Jareth mused. Aaron glowered at Jareth. It was the only thing he felt completely capable of doing. "I'm sure you are not in her favor right now."

"She still appears to be trying to find her way here" Aaron replied. "Which means that I am."

"Yes, well she doesn't seem to give up easily" Jareth said. "I'm sure that with her seven remaining hours I could persuade her to forget about you entirely."

"She wouldn't have anything to do with you" Aaron retorted. Jareth chuckled and passed a hand over the floating bubble. It changed to reflect Jareth and Tess's interaction in the courtyard. Aaron watched it in silence and looked away as it began to repeat itself. "You're overly cruel, Jareth."

"You just need to let things be, Aaron" Jareth replied. "Constantly poking around and starting things that you have no right to start." Jareth's hand passed over the bubble and it returned to the present, showing Tess slowly making her way towards the castle. "I will stop you every time."

"I know why you're sore about everything, Jareth" Aaron said pointedly. "It was that last runner you had, the girl that solved the Labyrinth. Right?"

"What of her?" Jareth let his face fall blank. It was true that it was still a soft spot with him, but he hadn't acknowledged her for some time now. Not to Hoggle, not to the goblins, not even to himself.

"What was her name? Sonya? Laura?" Aaron asked.

"It was Sarah" Jareth replied. He did not have a pleasant look on his face. "Everyone knows her name and everyone knows she made it through the Labyrinth."

"Let me go" Aaron requested. "I can find her and you can pursue her."

"I have a kingdom to run, Aaron" Jareth replied with an exasperated sigh. "I don't have time to flounce about with courting and crimson thoughts."

"Fribbler" Aaron accused. Jareth rolled his eyes.

"I have other commitments" Jareth muttered. "A commitment to a woman, a human woman at that, is the last thing I need."

"Are you sure about that?" Aaron asked. He returned his gaze back to the bubble. Tess was making decent time.

"What are your plans with her?" Jareth asked gesturing to the bubble. Aaron gave a hint of a shrug. "You've been watching her for some time. You must have something in mind."

"I never thought I'd talk to her" Aaron told his brother. "I don't know what you tell you, Jareth. I had to help her out." Aaron sat up straight and pulled the drain stopper. "Is there a towel?"

Jareth stood up and retrieved a towel from the only shelf in the cell. It took Aaron some time and effort to stand and to climb out of the tub. Once he did, Jareth tossed the towel to him. His brother's body looked terrible; Aaron's body was a growing rainbow of pain. Aaron hobbled to the bed and sat down with the towel wrapped around his waist. He was slow in pulling his clothing on and left his blood and sweat-soaked shirt off. Jareth had turned to pacing the room while Aaron groaned and pulled his boots on.

"You might be a great sorcerer Jareth" Aaron said. "But you can't hide your inner turmoil from me. You are bothered."

"Of course I am!" Jareth snapped. "I've been trying to forget about her."

"Let me help you" Aaron offered. "We can wipe the slate clean of any offenses between us."

"Oh, now I've offended you, have I?" Jareth asked with a raised eyebrow. He tugged on one of his gloves, considering the offer. It had been a few years aboveground since Sarah had been through his Labyrinth. He had told himself that he was past her and that she was an old interest, but nothing had replaced her and he managed to keep tabs on her until she had left for college. He had to admit that his brother, with all of his hunting experience, was quite good at finding those he wanted to find.

Jareth had watched Sarah finish her last two years of high school either in owl form or through a crystal. After her trip through the Labyrinth, he found that she had changed ever so slightly. She tolerated Toby a little more, though he could still see the vehement glare in her eyes when he acted up. She had learned to internalize some of her dramatics, but only some. He had watched her searching frantically for the red book which had been returned to Aaron as soon as she had made her initial wish. By the end of her senior year of high school, Jareth had watched her receive her acceptance letter for some university that she was excited over. She still doodled little pictures of the Labyrinth, her friends, and even a few of himself in the margins of her school work, but she no longer wrote about any of it in her diary or spoke aloud to her bedroom mirror or even really touched her costumes.

"I don't believe she shared the feelings that I felt" Jareth finally told his brother. His head swam with the thoughts he had tried so hard to lock away. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "You want to help me with Sarah, in exchange for your release?"

"In exchange for my release and for Tess's" Aaron confirmed. He stood before Jareth, shirtless and covered in bruises. "Everything between us is forgotten. No ill-intentions. Just brothers."

"If you fail?" Jareth asked. Aaron kept quiet and only raised a brow, waiting for Jareth to continue. "If you fail, it's five more years working for me and Tess becomes one of us…forever." Jareth paused, letting it sink in for a moment. "Sure you want to agree to the deal?"

"Yes" Aaron replied. Jareth stepped forward and the brothers shook hands.

"Last I heard she was attending some university called Darting Mouth or something like that" Jareth told Aaron. "It's a silly name."

"Darting Mouth?" Aaron repeated. "Sounds like a place for vipers."

"Perhaps the emblem features snakes" Jareth mused. Jareth waved his hand and a natural colored lump appeared in his hand. He tossed it to Aaron. The fabric lump hit his shoulder before he caught it as it slid down his chest. "Don't scare her, Aaron."

Jareth waved his other hand and Aaron faded from the cell with just a hint of glitter.

* * *

Aaron felt himself falling and was not pleased when he landed on paved stone. His head had begun to throb. It took him a few seconds before he even realized that his name was being called.

"Aaron!" Tess called to him. He had materialized from thin air and had landed before her. He had made a light moan and didn't seem to hear her. Tess tapped on his cheek, one of the only places that didn't look horribly bruised. "Aaron!"

"Tess?" Aaron asked. His eyes cleared and he rolled to his side in order to push himself up.

"What happened to you?" Tess asked. She was mortified by his slow movements and his wounds. She automatically assisted in helping him over to the closest wall. "Are you okay?"

"I will be" Aaron said. He slowly, achingly pulled the fresh white shirt over his head before speaking again. "I have to go back to your world."

"You're going to take me home?" Tess asked. A smile tugged at her mouth. "How did you manage that?"

"No" Aaron said with a shake of his head. "I am going back, you have to stay here." Tess's face dropped and he continued before she could rebut. "I need to find a school called Darting Mouth. Have you heard of it?"

"Darting Mouth?" Tess repeated. Her expression didn't change, but she started shaking her head 'no'. "Why do I have to stay here? Just take me with you."

"I cannot" Aaron replied. "It wasn't part of the deal."

"Deal?" Tess's cheeks were steadily growing pink, her brow furrowed, and her lip twitched. "What kind of deal? If I'm involved with a deal, why wasn't I involved with making it?" She took a deep breath and planted a hard slap to his face. "Asshole! You both are assholes."

"Tess" Aaron pleaded. He didn't reach for his cheek, but he did try to capture her gaze. "If I can bring her back, Tess, then you can go back. We both can go back."

"Her? Her who?" Tess asked. Tess stepped back with her arms crossed. "You know what? Just go. I'm going to solve this labyrinth and get myself home."

"Darting mouth? Tess, please" Aaron called to her. She had turned and taken a few steps down the corridor. She stopped with a sigh.

"It's Dartmouth and it's in New Hampshire" Tess informed him.

"Dartmouth, New Hampshire" Aaron repeated. "Is that the town name as well?"

"I don't remember what city it's in" Tess replied.

"Why are you angry with me?" Aaron asked. He was overly sore, but he still crossed over to her in three steps. "I'm trying to get us out of here."

"Your brother was kind enough to help me see you in a new light" Tess said. She tried not to look at his golden hazel eyes, and then found herself trying not to stare at his very tan and very bruised chest, exposed by the half buttoned shirt. "You drugged me, abducted me, and now I'm in some strange place, running a strange labyrinth!"

"I'll get you home" Aaron said. He reached out and held Tess's face in his hands, tilting her face to look up at him. "I promise, I will get you home." For a moment he was reminded of a storm when he looked into her eyes. He quickly ducked his head, giving her a light kiss, and stepped back. "I will be back, Tess."

Aaron wasted no time in transforming into a great horned owl and flying off to the aboveground. Tess watched him disappear beyond the high walls before turning to find her way towards the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

NOTE: Here you go, Sarah-fans!

* * *

Aaron landed on the top of one of the labyrinth walls. It ached to fly, but it wasn't terrible. He wasn't at all surprised to find a white owl circling before joining him on the wall. As soon as the white owl landed, it transformed into Jareth.

"Change back. I have some things for you to keep on your person" Jareth said. He pulled out a child's bracelet and a photograph. Aaron hesitated before changing. They sat there, on the top of the wall like two little boys. "This is my only photograph of her." Jareth handed the photo to Aaron, along with the bracelet. "When you meet her, give her the bracelet and tell her that Hoggle says hello. She will believe you."

"How do you want us to get back?" Aaron asked. Jareth handed him a small crystal ball, about half the size of his preferred crystals.

"Just tell it to take you to my throne room" Jareth instructed. "It will form a door for you both to use." Aaron tucked the crystal ball, the photo, and the bracelet into his trouser pocket. He transformed into an owl and remained perched beside his brother. "Let no harm befall Sarah, Aaron."

Aaron took flight, heading for aboveground, New Hampshire, Dartmouth.

* * *

It was dark aboveground and it took nearly no time to find New Hampshire. Aaron stopped in a small town. He just had to figure out where exactly Dartmouth was. Over the last few years of watching people in this realm, he had learned that there were ways of getting information. None were as easy as finding an advert for Dartmouth near a covered bus stop that featured a small map on how to "Visit Campus!"

* * *

Tess wandered around the labyrinth and was thrilled when she came across trees. She had been certain that she was going in circles. The shift in the ground, from fairly steady ground to severely uneven ground, made the trees seemed even wilder. They appeared to be covered in some kind of glittery substance, but after looking at one of the weird trees Tess found that it was just an effect of the bark.

Tess sat on a large protruding root that perched over a deep ditch. The canopy of leaves and branches made the woods a dark place. She had been walking around for a few hours now. Her feet were a little sore and she really wanted some cold water.

"Penny for your thoughts" Tess heard from behind her. She didn't turn around and she was glad that she hadn't jumped at his voice. Instead, she waited for him to lean against a nearby tree.

"What do you want?" Tess asked. She looked up at the blonde king.

"I was going to walk with you while we both wait on Aaron" Jareth replied. They both remained silent until the silence grew awkward to Tess. She stood up and found her way through the trees, Jareth easily following her.

"Who is he trying to find?" Tess asked. Tess found a mossy footpath and followed it.

"Just a girl" Jareth replied dryly. Tess spared a glance behind her and saw his jaw set firmly in place.

"Don't bullshit me, Jareth" Tess said. She ran into a low branch and swatted it out of her face. "I know how these things work. Who is she?"

"Here, they call her 'The Champion', but her name is Sarah" Jareth replied. Tess led them around some rocks that jutted up from the ground and around some trees until she came to a fork in the road. A post held three hands. One pointed to the right, another to the left, and one pointed the way she had just come.

"'The Champion'?" Tess asked. Jareth shrugged and kept quiet. "She turned your world around, didn't she?"

"She's just a girl from aboveground" Jareth replied. He pointed at the sign. "Which way are we going?"

"Right" Tess said. They took the path which gave way to a wider path. "Observing people is one of my things, as a writer." She paused and Jareth said nothing. She stopped walking and looked at Jareth. Just from his body language, she was sure she knew the silent story. "Nevermind. I think I know."

"You know nothing" Jareth said dismissively. Tess rolled her eyes and continued down the path. They walked quietly, enjoying the scenery. The trail wound like a snake through the trees and they soon found themselves in the middle of a dirt clearing with paths radiating from it like sun rays.

"More choices" Tess stated. Jareth watched as she went to the head of each path entrance and looked down what she could see. "Is there a chance of our original agreement still being in effect? I mean, is it actually still in effect? Does Aaron's agreement override our agreement?"

"Yes" Jareth replied. Tess smiled briefly, until she realized that she wasn't sure what the 'yes' was for.

"Yes to which question?" Tess asked.

"All of them" Jareth said. "Our original agreement is still in effect, but you have the added bonus of having the possibility of Aaron winning freedom for both of you."

"Great" Tess said. She took the fifth path.

"Why are you taking this path?" Jareth asked. "There were two others that looked better groomed."

"This path seemed less spidery" Tess replied. Jareth had to nod at that. The other paths had featured trees with somewebbing.

"We have some large spide—" Jareth said.

"NO!" Tess snapped. "No. Please. I do not want to know."

Jareth laughed and said no more on the subject of spiders. Instead, they walked until they hit a dead end. There was a sheer cliff at the end of the trail. Tess looked up and sighed. She was getting tired and this was a setback. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. She wanted to write and hated the fact that she had been so long without a journal or loose paper or even a napkin and a writing utensil.

"Perfect" Tess said. She looked around, hoping for a small trail or a cave or a door or something, but nothing was around except dense forest.

"Come along" Jareth said stepping back to the path. "This gives us time to talk about you."

* * *

Aaron found Hanover and the very prominent campus of Dartmouth. Somewhere in the town, a public clock chimed six times. People were moving about, walking, riding bikes, driving cars, balancing on skateboards. Aaron observed the people and moved around the town.

In an abrupt change of plan, Aaron shifted back into a man. He emerged from between two buildings and stepped into a quaint café. He was surprised to see that the place was busy. There was a man on the small stage with an acoustic guitar. Aaron did not care for the folky music that was being played. The other people in the café were either reading, on their computers, having private conversations, or were watching the guitar player.

Aaron went up to the cashier and pulled out the photo of Sarah. "Excuse me; I'm looking for this woman. Her name is Sarah."

"Is that Sarah Williams?" The cashier asked. The woman looked young and was pretty in a normal sort of way. She looked over to one of the baristas. "Luke, is this Sarah?"

The barista hurried over. His head was half shaved, the rest styled into a modern quaff. He was overly thin and sported thick black glasses. He looked at the photo and laughed.

"Is this for real?" Luke asked. "This is an old photo of her." Luke looked Aaron over and smiled. "Is she working on a play? Is someone doing 'Last of the Mohicans'?"

"No. I'm just looking for her" Aaron said.

"She usually comes in by seven" The cashier said. The girl smiled at him. "What play are you in?"

"I'm not in any play" Aaron said. "I'm seeking this woman on behalf of my brother."

"That sounds a little…weird" The cashier replied. She pointed to an empty table. "You can place an order and take a seat."

"Yes, certainly" Aaron replied. He reached into his pockets and wished for his belt. He wasn't in the habit of keeping money from aboveground and he didn't have any on him. "I seem to be without any money. Would you mind if I just waited for Sarah to show up?"

"Just take a seat" The cashier said with a dismissive sigh. Aaron thanked her and went to take a seat in a corner of the café where he could watch the door. He praised whatever force had granted him luck with finding Sarah in a true college town.

Aaron glanced at the clock. He had been waiting for nearly 34 minutes now. The person on the stage had switched a few times now. A duo was on the stage doing some kind of performance art in black and white spandex suits. Aaron was trying hard not to listen to the loud table off to his right. A few women were having a laugh while talking about relationships and shopping and whatever a facebook was.

It was 6:53 when Sarah came into the café. She was in a ménage of black and grey, and sported a red coat. She was lovely. He had to give his brother credit when it came to finding beautiful people and things. He watched as she ordered and was pointed out by the cashier. Sarah looked at him curiously. Aaron stood up, trying to be polite. Sarah waited a moment for her coffee before making her way over to him.

"Do I know you?" Sarah asked. Aaron sat as soon as soon as Sarah took a seat.

"No" Aaron replied. Aaron reached into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet. "You know my brother. He asked me to give you this." Sarah reached for the bracelet, not recognizing it until she picked it up and really looked at it. "He wanted me to tell you that Hoggle says hello."

"Hoggle?" Sarah said shocked. She looked around and leaned forward in order to whisper. She clutched the bracelet tight in her hand. "How did you get this? Is Hoggle okay? Who are you?"

"I am Jareth's brother" Aaron replied. "My name is Aaron. I've been sent here to bring you back to the labyrinth."

"I am not amused" Sarah announced. She got up and hurried out of the café with Aaron trying to keep up with her. The New Hampshire night had become breezy. Sarah had no issues since she had her red coat, but Aaron found it frigid as it cut through his shirt and embraced his skin.

"Wait!" Aaron called out. He was sore from his flight and he was sore from sitting on a hard chair. He stopped and braced his aching body against a light post. "Let me explain, Sarah."

Sarah glanced back at him. He looked to be in pain. "What's the matter with you?"

"Jareth has my friend, Tess" Aaron told her. Sarah noticed a few spots of red on his shirt. They weren't large blood spots, but they were there, each roughly the size of a quarter.

"You're bleeding" Sarah told him. Aaron looked down at his shirt and nodded.

"I am, yes" Aaron said. "It happens when you spend a few hours in the dungeon."

"Can you walk if we go slow?" Sarah asked. Aaron nodded and followed her down the street to the green off of main. "Start from the beginning."

Aaron gave her the abridged version of events that led him to find her. Sarah had been quiet and politely nodded as he told her what had happened. It took at five laps around the green. They stopped at a bench that was secured under a street light. Aaron leaned against the pole and Sarah sat down.

"I have classes, Aaron" Sarah told him. "I can't just go to the labyrinth with you."

"Jareth never said that you had to stay" Aaron told her. "He just wants you to come back to the labyrinth." Sarah's dark hair blew across her face and she pushed it behind an ear. "You would be helping me and Tess greatly."

"For a long time I wasn't sure if the labyrinth was real" Sarah told him. "I eventually told myself that it had been a dream. A very vivid, a very real dream." Her chocolate eyes met his golden hazel eyes. "You're telling me that everything is real?"

"Yes" Aaron said.

"I just have to go with you and everything will magically be okay?" Sarah questioned. Aaron made a vague gesture.

"Look, let me show you" Aaron said. He moved across the walkway, across the green space, to a cluster of trees. Sarah followed him, keeping a little space between her and this strange man. Aaron pulled out the small crystal and whispered to it. He threw it at the tree. Instead of shattering, it caught in the lower branches and slowly formed a door.

"It's a door" Sarah said with a startled, yet delighted tone. She took a few steps over to it and reached out. It felt like a solid oak door. It felt real. Sarah frowned and thought about the decision that faced her. She opened the door and stared at the Goblin King's throne room. "That's the throne room."

"Yes" Aaron said.

"I don't have to run the labyrinth?" Sarah asked.

"Do you want to?" Aaron asked rhetorically. Reluctantly, Sarah stepped through the door with Aaron right behind her.

* * *

Tess and Jareth had taken a new path, chosen at random, and Jareth had begun his light interrogation of Tess. Most of the questions were about her work as a writer and her schooling, but now he was getting more personal.

"How can a writer not believe in 'true love'?" Jareth guffawed. He had picked up a stick and was fiddling around with it. "All artists believe in 'true love'."

"I didn't say that I don't believe in it" Tess replied. "I just said that I don't think I'm meant for it. Besides, it's not your concern."

"You're a terrible liar" Jareth replied. "You can hear it in your voice. You want it, but you are scared of it. There are so many like you."

"I'm fine being by myself" Tess insisted. The path rounded some wide trees. "I don't think people put a lot of stock into living alone, but I really don't have a need….for…Jareth?" His footsteps had stopped. When she turned to look at him, he was not there. "Jareth?" She looked around, looking for an animal or anything that might have taken him. "Well…damn."

* * *

Jareth apparated into his throne room which meant one thing…Jareth looked around and found his brother standing next to a grown Sarah Williams. She stood there in black trousers, a grey shirt, and a red coat that made her skin look like porcelain. She shifted the bag slung over her shoulder.

"Sarah" Jareth said. He swallowed and remembered himself. He bowed. "Welcome back."

"Where's Hoggle?" Sarah asked. She pulled out the bracelet from her pocket and held it up. "Is he in trouble?"

"He's perfectly fine" Jareth replied. He stepped forward and held his hand out for the bracelet. "He will be wanting this back."

"I thought, for the longest time" Sarah said. "That this was all, I don't know, a dream or something."

"Jareth, where is Tess?" Aaron asked. Jareth produced a crystal.

"Go complete the labyrinth with her" Jareth said. He pushed the crystal against Aaron's chest, making Aaron fade away. "Sarah and I need to talk."

* * *

NOTE: I love comments and reviews. Thanks guys!


	7. Chapter 7

**NOTE: Yes, Sarah is in this story. Would anyone be up for doing any fan art? I'd like to see how you guys interpret Aaron and Jareth.**

* * *

Jareth stood near Sarah, staring. It wasn't intentional; he just hadn't imagined that she would ever come back. Sarah twitched and chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Her bag creaked a little in the quiet throne room. Her gaze fell to the floor, the horned throne, the windows, and everywhere but Jareth.

Sarah let out a breath and kept her eyes averted from Jareth. "It looks like nothing has changed in here."

"It's been nearly eight years for you" Jareth said. "Time does pass differently here."

"I can't stay long" Sarah said bluntly. Her mouth tightened and she finally looked at Jareth. "I have classes come Monday and work to do for them."

"Yes, classes at Darting Mouth" Jareth said. He held out a hand. "You can leave your bag here. It won't go anywhere."

"It's Dartmouth" Sarah replied. She took a deep breath and reluctantly handed over her bag. Jareth gently set it on his throne. "What do you need from me? I completed the labyrinth and won Toby back, so you can't claim him or anything."

"No, nothing about dear Toby" Jareth said. He smiled. The air was thick with nervous tension. Jareth felt his jaw clench tight, despite his smile. "Let's go find old Hoghead."

"It's Hoggle" Sarah replied. She gave a compliant nod and Jareth led her out of the throne room.

* * *

As soon as Aaron took solid form in the labyrinth, Tess collided with him hard enough for both of them to fall. Tess moved quickly, frantically, until she was standing again. She picked up the stick she had been carrying and stood defensively.

"Get up!" Tess yelled to Aaron. "Get up! Go! Get up!"

"What?" Aaron grumbled. He shivered, adjusting to the warmth of the labyrinth, and rolled onto his side so he could push his sore body up. "What's going on?"

"Run" Tess whispered. She was listening for something. The birds and forest animals had gone quiet. Tess let out a moan of disgust before turning and running down the dirt path. Aaron didn't see anything, but followed her.

Tess was filthy and her face was pink. She kept running and barely looked over her shoulder. When she did, she fell, skidding to a stop. The few rocks that were embedded into her bleeding palm didn't even register. Aaron felt his muscles protest in running, but nonetheless he hurried over to Tess to help her up.

"They're coming!" Tess shrieked. She was looking behind them and pointed with her bloody hand. The other was firmly gripping her stick. Aaron looked and saw large spiders making their way through the trees and along the path. Terror was present in Tess's eyes. She was up and running, the scent of fear trailing behind her, like a strong perfume.

"Nuada's Hand!" Aaron breathed. He hurried to catch up with the terrified petite woman. He transformed into his owl form and breezed past Tess. He flapped upwards. As soon as he could see the castle, he knew where they were. He glided back down and transformed again. "Come with me!"

Aaron grabbed Tess's arm and pulled her into the woods, to the right. It seemed as if they would get stuck in the underbrush, but Aaron pushed on. The trees abruptly stopped and they stood in the entrance of a stone section of the labyrinth. Aaron didn't stop, simply pulled her along at a tired run.

* * *

Sarah felt nearly blinded when Jareth pushed open a door that led outside. Time was indeed different in the underground. Jareth gently took her hand and placed it on his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. They were standing on a stone patio that overlooked a private garden. The air had a slight breeze with the scent of peach. It was more than Sarah remembered.

"He should be around here somewhere" Jareth said softly. At the far end of the patio a few weeds were chucked into a garden cart. "Hoggle!"

"I'm busy!" A gruff voice called out. Jareth and Sarah headed for the end of the patio. They looked over the railing and found the dwarf half buried in the flowers, removing the weeds.

"Hoggle!" Sarah said with a big smile. Hoggle stopped and stood up.

"Sarah?" Hoggle asked. "Is that you? You look older."

"You're bracelet" Jareth said tossing the trinket to the dwarf. Hoggle caught it and slipped it on his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked. Her long brown hair framed her smiling face.

"Just doing my job" Hoggle said with a shrug.

"Without Hogsmead the whole labyrinth would be in ruins" Jareth said. Jareth gave a slight pull on Sarah's arm. "We'll let you get back to work. You can visit later."

"Yeah, yeah" Hoggle replied. A tiny fairy fluttered past him and he smacked it out of the air. "You let these damn flower fairies in here and they're breeding like frickin' rabbits!"

Jareth laughed and Sarah looked confused. "You're doing a fine job. Keep it up and find us when you're done."

"For her" Hoggle said.

"See you later, Hoggle" Sarah called as Jareth led her back to the door they had come out of. Hoggle waved before diving back into his work. "What…? Are you two friends now?"

"We always have been friends" Jareth replied. He held the door for her and they went back into the castle.

"You weren't very friendly to him when I was here last time" Sarah replied. The door closed with a heavy thud.

Jareth leaned in a little. "You never bothered to ask. Just ran around as if you were the great heroine in a fairytale with me cast as the villain."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked. She shook her head and pulled her hand away from him. "This is the weirdest dream."

"Oh, I assure you this is not a dream" Jareth said. Sarah had stopped in the corridor and looked at a large hanging tapestry. It had gruesome little characters battling each other amid a field and a forest.

"This is definitely a dream" Sarah whispered. Jareth smiled and stood hip to hip with her. "I've been too stressed with finishing up my masters degree, so my brain is making me think of you and this place."

"Do you often think of me and this place when you feel stressed?" Jareth asked looking at her. Sarah shook her head 'no'. She was still looking at the tapestry. Metallic thread had been woven into it in place of fairies and magic. She reached out to touch a metallic spot when she felt a gloved hand at her jaw, another on her waist. When her fingers brushed the tapestry, Jareth pressed his lips to hers. This had never happened in any of her dreams.

She could feel his lips against hers and the lamb-soft leather of Jareth's gloved hand gently holding her. There was an urgent need behind his lips and Sarah felt herself give in, kissing him back. She enjoyed herself for a blink of an eye before her mind nagged at her.

 _This was the Goblin King, a nemesis from a single night, he was a magic man_. Sarah's brow furrowed. She let out a muffled groan. Sarah pushed at Jareth until he stepped back. His eyes sparkled with a hungry lust. Sarah's eyes were wide like a deer and her face flushed.

"Don't do that" Sarah whispered back. She stepped backward, putting a little more distance between them. Jareth gracefully smoothed out his waistcoat and gave her a bow of his head. "I need to go."

"Sarah" Jareth began. She turned and headed for the throne room.

* * *

Despite the heavy breathing, the pumping blood resonating through their ears, and their feet hitting the ground at a run, Aaron and Tess could hear the tick, tick, tick of crawling spiders over the stone walls. Aaron was still pulling Tess through twitten after twitten until he found what he was looking for.

He stopped and Tess skidded to a stop beside him.

"What is it?" Tess asked. The tick, tick, tick of spidery legs was getting closer. Her stomach flopped and she felt a little ill.

"Drop the stick" Aaron said. He grabbed for it and Tess held tight.

"That's my battle stick!" Tess said hysterically. Aaron ripped the stick from her hand and let it fall to the ground. "Aaron!"

"See that darker stone?" Aaron asked pointing to a large square paving stone in front of them. It was darker than the other stones, but if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't even notice. "Jump!"

They jumped and they fell. Tess screamed.

The fall was enough to feel uneasy, but it ended when hands slowed their fall and eventually grabbed hold of them. Aaron wasted no time.

"Put the cover back up!" Aaron said. "Spiders followed us."

"Spiders?" A face formed from the hands. "Vile things."

"Help us please" Aaron said. Tess was wide-eyed.

"Why certainly" Another face said. "Which way?"

"Down please" Aaron said. He glanced up and saw hands working together to put up a grate. A single spider, the body being the size of a medium dog, managed to get in. "Hurry!"

"Down!" Various faces made of hands formed in order to confirm the direction. Tess shrieked when she looked up and noticed the spider.

"Don't worry miss" One face near her said. The face dissolved and a hand pointed up. Tess looked up and saw the hands grab hold of the spider, ripping it apart. She fell after that.

Tess didn't remember landing. She awoke on the hard floor in a dark room with Aaron partially draped across her. They had been dumped in a heap. Tess pushed and twisted herself into a sitting position. Her left hand stung and she looked at it. The little light from overhead was enough for her to see that it was covered in dried blood and a fresh blood was pooling around the slice in her palm.

"I'm bleeding?" Tess asked the darkness. She poked Aaron and shook his shoulder. "Aaron? Aaron, wake up."

Aaron was breathing, but he seemed to be passed out over Tess's lower half. Tess looked at her palm. The light was good enough that she could see a few rocks in her hand, in the bleeding cut. Tess groaned and tried to clear the wound. Her hand felt as if it was swollen to the size of her head. The tender flesh protested as she pulled out the two of the larger gravel pieces. New blood swelled and she tried to be quick with the last little rock. She stopped when she heard the light sound of it hitting the floor.

"Aaron!" Tess said shaking his shoulder again. Her injured hand was cradled against her chest. This time he stirred. He groaned when he realized how sore he was. He pushed himself off of Tess's legs and onto the cold floor to lie on his back. Tess tucked her legs under her and moved to lean forward, over her tanned savior. "Are you okay?"

"I think I have some bruised ribs" Aaron winced. He rubbed at his face with one hand and then looked at Tess. Her cardigan was torn at the shoulder, she had a smudge of dirt across her nose, and her hair was a mess. "Are you alright?"

"Actually, I seem to be bleeding" Tess said. Aaron sat up and took her hand. In her palm was a pool of blood. Her fingers and her hand were already stained with dried blood.

"Fie!" Aaron said. He quickly tugged at the bottom of his shirt until he tore a strip off. He wadded up the fabric and pressed it to Tess's hand. "What did you do to yourself woman?"

"I don't know" Tess replied. She groaned at the pressure he was applying to her hand. "Aaron?" He looked at her. "I really want to go home so I can take a hot bath."

"We will get out of here" Aaron replied with a smile. He wiped at the dirt across her nose. "You certainly need one."

His hand lingered at her face, tracing her jaw and her lips. Tess swallowed when she felt his thumb leave her bottom lip. In the dim light his eyes were strangely luminescent. Tess cocked her head to the side, ever so slightly, and looked at them.

"Your eyes" Tess whispered.

"I can see perfectly" Aaron whispered back. They were inches away. Aaron's hand guided her forward until their lips met. Tess's good hand found its way to Aaron's shoulder. He deepened the kiss and elicited a moan from his own mouth. Tess leaned into the kiss, eager for the affection.

Aaron was pleased when she shifted and straddled his lap. He dropped his hands to her waist, pulling her against him. Tess let out a small cry of pain and pulled away from him.

"Sorry" Tess said. "My hand."

"We need to get out of here" Aaron whispered. He kissed her cheek and moved her from his lap. "Let me see if I can find a way out."

Aaron disappeared into the darkness. Tess could hear him moving around, looking for something.


	8. Chapter 8

Sarah picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She turned and glared at Jareth, who had followed her into the throne room. One hand gripped the strap of the bag firmly.

"If all you brought me here for was to steal a kiss, then you've succeeded. I want to get back to New Hampshire now" Sarah said calmly. Jareth paced around the room and begun a slow circling path around her. His silence perturbed Sarah, but she managed to keep her focus. "I didn't wish anyone away. You have no power over me."

"What are you studying at Dartmouth?" Jareth asked.

"Creative writing" Sarah replied. She moved her head to follow his circling.

"Not acting?" Jareth asked. "I would have guessed something more theatrical."

"Things change" Sarah said. "People change. I have changed."

"Have you?" Jareth asked in a whisper. He was still circling her, but had tightened the path so he was closer. "You still live in your head, as all writers do. I'm guessing that you read your work aloud when you get stuck, perhaps even act out the parts so you know what to write next."

"You've been spying on me" Sarah lightly accused. A smirk crossed Jareth's face.

"I have not" Jareth replied calmly. "I stopped checking in on you when you left your parents house."

"You spied on me for a few years?!" Sarah asked in a horrified tone. Jareth stopped his pacing and merely shrugged. A surge of anger flooded Sarah's mind and without a second thought she slapped Jareth across the face. The sharp sound and the sudden fear of Jareth's anger stopped her cold. The slap had been hard enough to force Jareth's head away from her. As a remedy, Sarah's mouth flew into fast action. "I'm sorry. I've never done that before."

"You seem to be a natural at it" Jareth replied touching his reddened cheek. His gaze remained rapacious. It, in fact, seemed to intensify enough to make Sarah back up a few steps. "Tell me Sarah, what did you think happened to the labyrinth once you left?" He stalked around her again. "Did you think that it was destroyed?"

"What?" Sarah asked. Her eyes skittered around, finding an answer. "I—I guess I just thought that it was okay. I won. I beat your labyrinth. I wasn't really planning on coming back here."

"What about your friends?" Jareth asked. Despite his wild eyes, he sounded genuinely curious. "Weren't you concerned about them?"

"Yes, of course" Sarah said. She glanced to her right and saw a wall just out of arms length. "Why do you want to know?"

"I've never actually had the chance to ask any of these questions to anyone" Jareth replied. "No one has ever made it through my labyrinth since I've ruled here." He kept his distance from her, allowing her to have her own bubble of space. "Why did you never call on me? I could have brought you back here. I don't believe you ever called your friends either. Why?"

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Sarah scoffed. Jareth loomed before her, waiting for an answer. "Fine. I told myself that it wasn't real."

"You didn't really believe that" Jareth said. Sarah stepped back and leaned against the wall.

"I had to" Sarah said. "It happened and then it was over. I couldn't tell anyone. What was I supposed to do?"

"What a burden to bear" Jareth teased. Sarah crossed her arms and stood up straight.

"Send me home" Sarah demanded.

"No" Jareth replied. He spun around and headed for his throne. Sarah followed him.

"Why not?" Sarah asked. Her hand went back to holding the strap of her bag, her knuckles squeezed white. "This is kidnapping!"

"Does all that yelling really work on anyone?" Jareth asked as he gracefully sat on his throne. He gestured to the pit in the middle of the room. "Take a seat." Sarah didn't move. "What are you working on with this creative writing degree? A book? Poetry? A play?"

"I have a novel that I'm writing" Sarah replied. "It's a fantasy thriller, before you ask."

Jareth sat in this throne taking in the information, processing it. He steepled his fingers in front of him and watched Sarah. She was trying to ignore him by taking in all the features of the throne room. He had her sized up, had insights on her person, before she could make her first observatory round.

Sarah was looking at the detail around the ceiling. Carved into the stonework were flowers and vines. She did a double take when a crystal floated past her. She looked over at Jareth who had stood up and was near her.

"Come with me" Jareth ordered. He walked out of the throne room and Sarah, curiosity gripping her, followed.

"Where are we going?" Sarah asked. She followed Jareth up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway. Jareth flicked his hand and a heavy door opened. Jareth stepped into the room with Sarah trotting after him. She came to a halt when she saw the room. It was simple in design with ornately decorated furnishings. "Wow."

"You can stay here" Jareth told her.

"Stay here?" Sarah repeated. He was already heading for the door. "Hey! I don't want to stay here."

"I will return you in time for your classes" Jareth promised. "I'll call you for a bite to eat in a while. You look a little tired and hungry."

He left the room with the door closing behind him. Sarah let her head fall back while she uttered an 'ugh'. She set her bag down and took her coat off. She had a feeling that if she tried to leave the door would be locked and, even if it wasn't, she didn't have anywhere to run to. She sat on the bed next to her things.

"At least the room is nice" Sarah told herself. The room was stone and wood with tall windows of stained glass and French doors that Sarah was sure led to a decent size balcony. The bed was a simple four-posted bed with bed curtains secured at each post. There was a small armoire and a small vanity. Both were inlaid with stones and shells that formed a garden motif.

Ever curious, Sarah stood up and opened the armoire. Inside were a few hanging items and a few items folded on the built in shelving. She shut the armoire and went to sit at the vanity. She opened the drawers one by one. The drawers were mostly empty, but one of the full drawers held a journal and pencil, and one of the half drawers held a small vial of amber liquid.

Sarah held the vial of liquid and opened it. It smelled lovely; green and fruity by modern standards. Sarah replaced the cap and put it back in its drawer. The fruity notes in the perfume made her aware of her hunger. She wasn't sure what time it was underground, but in New Hampshire it was certainly past her normal dinner time. She opened the drawer with the journal and took it over to the bed.

She lay down and flipped open the journal. It was blank, as if waiting for her to fill the pages. Instead of writing something, she began drawing. Sarah filled five pages with doodles when some of the doodles moved and formed the words "Are you hungry?" Sarah wasn't completely taken aback. She was in the labyrinth and things were magical here. She simply wrote "Yes".

* * *

Dining with Jareth felt nerve-wracking. He politely picked at some fruit and cheese while watching her eat a hot meal brought to her by a goblin with a droopy mouth. She took a bite of the meat and found it to be chicken. It was moist and spicy.

"Like it?" Jareth asked.

"Yes" Sarah replied. Jareth sipped a glass of wine.

"Sure I can't offer you some wine?" Jareth asked. Sarah shook her head 'no' as she chewed.

"What do you want from me?" Sarah asked between bites. Jareth took a sip of wine before answering.

"I would like to impress upon you a great deal of wonder and lust in a short period of time" Jareth replied. "Until Sunday night, your time."

Sarah stopped eating and tried not to stare with her mouth open. "Are you…asking me out on a date?"

"Well…." Jareth said. "Yes." He sipped his wine. "Tonight, it will be dinner, dancing, whatever you'd like."

"This is too weird" Sarah whispered to herself. Sarah put on her best serious face. "I do not want to date you. I don't even want to be here."

"Yes, well" Jareth said a little put out. "When my brother returns I'll have him escort you home." He stood up, taking his glass and the wine bottle. "I'll leave you to eat in peace. Good day, Sarah."

Sarah watched Jareth storm out of the dining room, leaving her alone. She felt a little guilty for having said those words to him, but it seemed like it had to be done. As soon as she was sure he was gone, she got up and headed for her temporary room. Her thoughts were building up inside of her and all she wanted to do was write until she fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**NOTE: This chapter gets a little steamy, so I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. I've been told that my romantic scenes are a bit weird.**

* * *

The smell of damp rot and mildew was almost choking. Aaron had found some sort of wooden plank in the oubliette that turned out to be some sort of door. Aaron had ushered Tess out, but took the lead. The tunnel had narrowed and now they were crawling on their hands and knees. Tess coughed and tried taking in air that wasn't permeated with stench. She had, unfortunately, lost her glasses at some point between running from the spiders and getting out of the oubliette.

"We should be almost out of here" Aaron told her. Tess was moving slowly, her one hand tucked up against her.

"Good, this is disgusting" Tess said. The small tunnel had a floor of dark mud and the occasional piece of plant life. They trudged along for another twenty minutes. The scenery didn't change and neither did their direction. Tess heard, rather than saw, Aaron open some sort of grate, then he disappeared into a bright light. Tess kept moving.

"Come on" Aaron said. As soon as Tess got to the end of the tunnel, he helped her out. They were both trodden with black mud.

"Where are we?" Tess asked. Aaron looked around. It was the junkyard which meant…

"We're not too far from the city gates" Aaron replied. Tess was pallid and her hand still glossed with red. "Are you alright, Tess?"

"Yeah, I'm good" Tess said. She was a little breathy, but seemed stable. Aaron gestured in the direction for them to go and Tess took the lead.

The junkyard gave Tess a creepy feeling of being watched and too much nostalgia. There were old teddy bears and childhood desks, bicycles, skateboards, action figures and dolls, and all kinds of other junk from the days of youth. The sky, specifically above this particular section of the labyrinth, was dark and stormy. As Tess and Aaron moved through the paths, a crack would sound and a few more toys were fall onto the piles.

"What is this place?" Tess asked. She watched as an oversized horse doll fell from the sky. Aaron ushered her along, hesitant to stop.

"The junkyard. There are great dangers here" Aaron informed her. They hurried through the junkyard and were both relieved when they reached the main gates. The gates, together, formed a very large metal man. The metal man's eyes flashed at the approaching duo.

"Who goes?" It bellowed.

"Aaron and Tess" Aaron called out. There was a loud click.

"Pass" It bellowed. The gates opened, splitting the metal man in two. Aaron pulled Tess along. Before them stood a great city with the castle just beyond.

"We made it" Tess said relieved. She couldn't make out the details, but in general she could see well enough. The city was bustling with activity. It was the complete opposite of the lonely junkyard. Small somewhat-ugly creatures, goblins, pushed carts here and there, carried baskets, chased after their kids, and moseyed about. It was so normal that it seemed surreal. Tess and Aaron headed for the castle. They were both slow and were somewhat stumbling.

"Hey, watch it!" A goblin yelled. Aaron had nearly spilled one of the two large pails of milk it was carrying. Aaron muttered an apology and kept on.

"I'm tired" Tess groaned. They were close to the castle. They just had to cross a long bridge that led to the castle doors. Tess reached for the bridge railing and leaned against it.

"Just a little further" Aaron told her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her along with him. They trudged along, slow yet methodical. For Tess it seemed to take forever. They moved past the castle door. Aaron pulled her along to the throne room.

"Jareth?" Aaron called out. They rounded the corner and faced the throne room. Jareth was perched on his throne with a line of local goblins before him, each one ready to state any grievance they might have. Jareth raised a hand to the small goblin before him. The room fell quiet and Jareth silently watched as the two fell to their knees in exhaustion.

"Continue" Jareth said to the small goblin. The small goblin nodded.

"Yes, sire" The goblin said. "As I was saying, I gave two baskets of taters to Smeg and he never gave me milk in return."

"Oh, I did!" A taller goblin called out.

"Quiet" Jareth ordered. He had a riding crop in his hand and was tapping it on his boot. After a quiet minute he looked at Smeg. "Do you owe him milk?"

"His taters were rotten. Rotten!" Smeg burst out. "I don't owe nothing."

"Smeg, give him the milk you owe him" Jareth ordered. Smeg huffed and nodded. "I think that will be it for today. I'll have extended hours later on. Come back tomorrow."

The room cleared out surprisingly fast. Once the goblins were gone Jareth turned to Aaron and Tess. He stepped down from his throne and meandered over to them with his riding crop in hand. Aaron was covered in mud and the acquired marks of pain from his previous trip to the dungeon. Tess was nearly unrecognizable.

"What happened to you two? Wasn't she in glasses? She looks like a mud dragged banshee" Jareth said. He used the riding crop to push some muddy hair from Tess's face. Aaron watched and found that she had passed out against him.

"Tess?" Aaron said. He put an arm around her in an effort to help support her.

"Grab rooms upstairs!" Jareth ordered with a firm yell. Aaron shook his head and remained on the floor. "You both should spend the night in a barn. You're filthy!"

"I don't have the strength to stand with her" Aaron replied. Jareth, if he had been lesser of a man, would have rolled his eyes, but instead waved his hands. His brother and Tess both faded away.

* * *

The castle was quiet for the middle of the day as it usually was, unless he had an audience to watch a labyrinth runner. Jareth wandered the castle with his bottle of wine from earlier, hoping for some thoughts in regards to Sarah. She hadn't wanted him when she was younger and she clearly wasn't interested now. Was she? The small seed of doubt haunted him. Would he have to decipher her words and actions? Did she even know what she wanted or was she living up to someone else's expectations?

Jareth had not spent his life flitting from woman to woman, as many Fae were prone to do. It's not as if he hadn't been presented with the opportunities, he just wasn't interested in wasting his time and energy in such fruitless affairs.

Jareth found a window and perched on the ledge. He poured wine into the goblet he was holding and sipped it. His kingdom was a prospering place. He had brought it out of near anarchy and had made it productive, "economically viable" was the phrase used by the high Fae court. His personal reputation had taken a blow at the high court, but professionally he was well-respected.

Jareth watched clouds slow move through the sky. Birds flittered around, chasing each other and singing songs. A part of him wanted to transform into an owl and chase after them, hunt them. Instead he drank his wine and watched them. Aaron had the ability to simply change form at any given time and do as he pleased. Jareth snorted at the thought. Aaron had no boundaries and Jareth had too many. He thought about Sarah and he felt emptiness settle in his chest. It was a darkness that he was use to.

 _Perhaps I am a fribbler_ , Jareth thought. He had gotten through the high court being flirtatious, but never pursuing any one person until Sarah had come along. Rumors had sprouted up that the human had rejected him. _The rumors were unheeded foresight, apparently._

Jareth finished his glass of wine before refilling his glass and wandering on through the castle. He longed to walk until his legs seized up, but instead he found himself standing in front of Sarah's door. He shifted the bottle so it was held in the crook of his arm, and then knocked on the door. When the door finally opened, it wasn't because Sarah had opened it. Jareth quietly entered the room and found Sarah asleep on the bed, her face resting on the journal and pencil still in her hand.

Jareth sighed and set his bottle and goblet on the vanity. He quietly turned the chair around and sat. The time difference could, at times, be incredible between worlds. He looked down and saw her bag resting against the foot of the vanity. Jareth opened the bag and found a thick stack of paper bound together with a large black clip. It was Sarah's novel.

Jareth sipped his wine and relaxed in the chair. He could think of nothing more important at that moment than reading her work.

* * *

Aaron stepped out from the hot water of the shower feeling immensely better. His muscles still ached and he was, of course, still covered in bruises and welts, but he felt better. Jareth had been kind enough to leave them in a room that held a few changes of clothes. Aaron pulled on a loose pair of cotton lounge-style pants and found a hair tie to get his wet hair secured on his head.

Tess was still a mess and was lying on some towels, on the floor. Her hand had a temporary bandage on it. It would have to come off and she would need to shower. Aaron knelt beside her and started taking off her boots.

"Tess" Aaron said. After her boots were off, he tapped her cheek. "Tess, I need you to wake up." Tess moved, automatically giving a little stretch. "Tess, you need to get up."

"Hmm?" Tess groaned before opening her eyes. Aaron smiled at her. "Where are we?"

"We're safe" Aaron replied. He helped her sit up. "I need you to take a shower so we can get your hand fixed up."

"Where are my glasses?" Tess asked. Her hand had automatically sought them out. She stood up with Aaron pulling her up.

"You lost them" Aaron told her.

"Oh" Tess said with a yawn. She started pulling her cardigan off. "Is there anything to change into?"

"I will bring in clothes" Aaron said ushering her to the bathroom. She waited for him to leave before turning the shower on. When Aaron returned to bring her some folded clothes, she was in the middle of pulling her pants off. "I will be out here."

"Thanks" Tess said. Aaron refrained from asking if she needed help and backed out of the bathroom. How long had he been awake now? He pushed the thought away. It would make him feel more tired than he was if he dwelled on it. He sat on the bed and watched the closed door. His mind could only imagine what she looked like in the shower.

He felt heat rush through his belly and a strong desire to alleviate the lust that followed. Instead, Aaron pushed himself up from the bed and went to look out the window. There wasn't anything of note to take his attention away from his thoughts.

It seemed like such an operose task to watch out the window and ignore the carnal thoughts. Aaron was unaware that Tess had even finished her shower until she stood next to him at the window. She was in pants similar to his and a long poet shirt. The clothes were far too large on her petite frame, making her look as if she was drowning in the cotton.

"Is there another hair tie?" Tess asked. She was holding her hair on her head, in the form of a bun. Aaron blinked at her before retrieving a hair tie. He didn't say a word, just simply tied her hair up for her. "What's going on?"

"I was just…thinking" Aaron said. He pulled her over to the bed and looked at her sliced hand. She would need stitches for her jagged cut. Aaron disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a small leather bag. Jareth had to have sent it there for them. Tess watched as Aaron pulled out a spool of black thread, scissors, and a very sharp looking needle. Tess groaned and pulled her hand closer to herself. "You need stitches."

"Shouldn't we have a doctor do it?" Tess asked. Aaron had the needle prepped in no time and gently pulled Tess's hand closer to him. He knelt down and pulled her hand where he needed it to be.

"Tell me about something" Aaron said. He looked up at Tess, who looked worried. "Did you always want to be a writer?"

"I never really knew what else to do with my—OW!" Tess cried out. Aaron held her hand firmly and managed to tie the first stitch. "I spent most of my life writing."

Tess hissed when Aaron pushed the needle through her tender palm again. He tied another knot before speaking. "What kind of projects are you working on now?"

"Two novels" Tess gritted. "A graphic novel and a short story for a magazine." Aaron tied another knot. "I have a thriller series that the novels are for, but the graphic novel is science fiction."

"Does that sell well aboveground?" Aaron asked. Tess was staring at his wet hair, formed into a dark brown bun. He was quick to stick her again. His grip tightened on her hand when she flinched.

"Yeah" Tess said trying to focus on his hair. Her eyes slipped to her palm. "I make a comfortable living from it."

"Almost done, Tess" Aaron told her. She grunted when he threaded the needle through her palm one last time. Her palm was not only sore, but now it throbbed and felt as if it was on fire. He tied the thread and took a minute to trim the thread on the knots. His work was quite good. "There. I think you're done."

"Where did you learn to do this?" Tess asked. Aaron pulled out a gauze wrap and started wrapping her hand.

"I told you before" Aaron said. "I come across a lot of people and animals in need." He tucked the gauze in on itself and looked up at Tess. "That should do it."

"Thank you" Tess said. Aaron stroked the soft skin of Tess's wrist and felt the warm surge he had felt before. He didn't hesitate, simply acted. His lips crushed Tess's and he dragged her onto the bed with him. He felt her arms around his neck and smiled to himself.

"Tess" Aaron growled. He trailed kisses down her neck and began to push the oversized shirt up. As soon as her stomach was exposed, he pushed himself down to kiss the tender skin. His lips grazed a spot where her stomach met her ribs and Tess unleashed a hearty laugh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Tess said. "I'm just ticklish there."

"That's good to know" Aaron said sitting back on his knees. He found her violet-grey eyes watching him and he smiled. "You're beautiful."

"You're a liar" Tess said with a laugh. She gestured with a finger and he leaned down to kiss her. Tess's good hand rested on his collarbone and seemed to encourage Aaron. He slid a hand down her side and began pushing her shirt up. He broke the kiss just long enough to remove the shirt.

"Pants" Aaron whispered between kisses. Tess felt him begin to pull her pants down.

There was a scream from somewhere. Aaron and Tess both stopped to listen. Yelling followed, but it was muffled.

"What is that?" Tess asked. Aaron groaned and rolled onto his back. "Aaron?"

"Probably that Sarah girl" Aaron said. He was straining against his cotton pants. Tess rolled over and kissed his chest. "She will be fine." Aaron pulled at her pants and rolled her over again. He ran a rough hand over her smooth legs and pulled them up to wrap around his waist. Tess was lost in sensation and bombarded by his kisses. At some point, in the sensual fog, he had lost his pants.

"Aaron" Tess whispered breathily when he slid into her. He nipped at her neck and moaned. She so hot and wet around him. He thrust into her until he felt her tense up.

"Go on" Aaron whispered, urging her. It wasn't long before she cried out and ground her hips against him. When he felt her, he followed without much urging. It wasn't the longest sexual encounter either one had managed, but it was greatly needed. Aaron kissed Tess and moved to lie beside her.

Sleep claimed both of them relatively quick. Neither one of them heard the continuing argument from down the hall.


	10. Chapter 10

"How dare you! Pervert!" Sarah furiously roared. She had woken up to Jareth sitting in her room, reading her work. Fury erupted through her and, while she told herself it was due to a lack of privacy, she honestly wasn't sure what it completely stemmed from. Jareth stood, placing her writing draft on the vanity.

"Nothing I've done is perverted" Jareth calmly stated. Sarah pushed herself from the bed and clenched her hands into fists.

"What are you doing in here?" Sarah demanded. "Are you spying on me?"

Jareth sneered and stepped towards her, standing tall above her. Nothing had changed on his person, nothing but his manner. His expression told her all she needed to know and Sarah had the deference to be suddenly intimidated. Jareth leaned in, but remained inches away from her.

"I would watch what you say" Jareth said through gritted teeth. "I will not stand for such unruly and rude behavior. Do it again and you will find yourself in an unfortunate place."

"You wouldn't harm me" Sarah said. She was visibly trying to regain her ground.

"Wouldn't I?" Jareth said. He raised an eyebrow. His eyes were the only thing that moved, in a minute gesture, towards the novel behind him. "I was simply reading your work. Your story has potential, but you need to revise it. The villain is transparent and the mystery is about as elusive as a goblin at a beer festival. I nearly skipped right to the end to see if I had made the correct assumptions."

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked. Her jaw dropped. Offended would be putting it lightly. "I am one of the highlighted authors at—"

"Enough" Jareth said raising a hand for silence. He stepped back. "It needs to be revised." He stormed to the door, pausing when his hand touched the knob. "And Sarah? If your mind is so set on desire, you can find me around the castle, but don't think, for one second, that I will behave any less than the king that I am."

As soon as Jareth left the room, he heard the thud of a shoe hit the door. He smiled to himself, pleased that he could rile her up, but anger loomed darkly overhead. Perhaps he had been wrong about the dark-haired beauty. He was angry at himself for having listened to his brother and for thinking that Sarah would have some inkling of feeling for him.

* * *

Sarah paced around her room. She had retrieved her shoe from earlier and fumed over her current predicament. She was not a fan of being caged. She finally plopped down at the vanity and let out an exasperated sigh. She rested her head on her hand when she heard the sound of a door and talking coming from outside of her door. Quickly, Sarah stood up and ran to the door. She banged on it.

"Hello?" Sarah called. "Let me out!"

The chatter stopped and Sarah banged on the door again. The door knob turned with a light creaking. Sarah stepped back, hoping beyond hope that whoever was opening the door would help her. The door opened and Aaron, the man who brought her to the labyrinth, stood there.

"Sarah" Aaron said. He had a smile on his face and someone was with him. They were dressed in clothes that looked freshly washed and pressed. "Greetings."

"It—its Aaron, right?" Sarah asked. The woman with him smiled. "Are you Tess?"

"Yes" Tess said. She moved to stand next to Aaron, instead of partially behind him. Sarah looked a little befuddled. Tess stuck her hand out. "You must be Sarah. Nice to meet you."

"You're Tess Fulton, the author" Sarah said shaking Tess's hand. "What are you—were you kidnapped too?"

"You're not kidnapped" Aaron chimed in. Sarah looked at him as if he was crazy. "Your door wasn't even locked."

"It wasn't?" Sarah asked. She looked at the door knob. She slipped out of the room and into the hall. "I thought I was locked in."

"You were asked to be here" Aaron told her. "You walked through that door yourself."

"Yes—No—" Sarah stumbled over herself. "Jareth kidnaps people, he's not nice…"

Aaron's brow furrowed and he looked at Tess. He wasn't the biggest fan of his brother, but he had a firmer grip on reality than Sarah. "Sarah? Didn't you wish your brother away years ago?"

"Yes, I did, but I never meant it" Sarah replied.

"One second Tess" Aaron whispered to her. He looked at Sarah and guided her across the wide hallway so they could speak a little privately. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my brother is, if anything, true to his word to a fault."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sarah hissed.

"It means that if you wished for something, then all he did was grant that wish" Aaron replied. "If you wanted something, he gave it to you." He could see Sarah replaying memories in her mind. "Did he not stay true to his word? That would be a first."

"I asked him to send me home" Sarah whispered. Aaron nodded with understanding. Jareth had not been able to win her over. "He told me that I would have to wait for you to return before he sent you to escort me."

"He is true to his word to a fault, Sarah" Aaron told her again. He stepped back and Tess walked over to him. "I'm showing Tess the grounds. Care to join us?"

"You're sure you don't need rescuing or something?" Sarah asked Tess.

"Jareth will get a piece of my mind" Tess said. "But, I don't believe I need rescuing."

"Huh" Sarah simply said. Aaron and Tess headed down the hallway. It took her a moment, but Sarah followed them, listening to Aaron point out little intricacies about the castle.

* * *

Sarah had remained quiet for most of Aaron's castle tour. It reminded her of a museum tour, but with a slightly personal touch. He led them around the ground floor which was surprisingly large. Aaron had told them a little about the state of the labyrinth before Jareth and some of the changes he had made to the kingdom.

"He sounds a lot like an old warlord from long ago" Tess said. "From our history."

"Who is that?" Aaron asked. "Your history has always influenced ours and ours yours."

"Vlad Dracula" Tess replied. "He was a great man."

"He impaled people and inspired a vampire novel!" Sarah said with disgust. "He was horrible!"

Tess rolled her eyes and turned to narrow her eyes at the younger brunette. "He only impaled his enemies and bad people. His countrymen loved him and still do. Vlad Dracula took his country from anarchist state to nearly being one of the first countries of the first wave of industrial revolution, which was only agricultural-based machinery, but still. He was ahead of his time. He even kept the Ottomans at bay until Hungary stepped in and dethroned him." Tess paused briefly. "How much do you know about him?" Sarah's taken-aback look was enough of an answer. "I could lecture on him if I ever chose to; I won't, but please have the facts in order before you make accusations."

"Sorry" Sarah said. Tess went back to examining a painting of Jareth, who was posing with a crystal ball and horde of goblins that simultaneously formed a shadowed backdrop. "I didn't think it would offend you."

"Jareth had this ridiculous piece commissioned by mother's preferred painter" Aaron said stepping between the women. "She was furious." Aaron led them down a corridor, promising to take them to the gardens, when he heard the light clanking sounds from the ballroom. "Someone sounds busy."

"What is that?" Sarah asked. The metallic scraping and clanking was followed by a heavy step.

"Fencing" Tess replied. Aaron raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I fenced in high school and college."

"Jareth is fairly accomplished with the sword" Aaron said. He opened a door that led into the ballroom-turned-fencing-studio and they all stepped in to watch as two white figures moved back and forth with swords, almost in a dance. Post, block, repost, block, repost…it went on until the figure on the right fell into an extended lunge and his foil made firm contact on the other person's chest, the arc of the blade a defined confirmation of this. Aaron clapped loudly and patronizingly as they stood to regroup. "You're still not as good as me."

Jareth, the figure who had landed the touch, pulled his mask from his face. His hair was pulled back from his face and his brow was rife with sweat. "What are you doing in here?"

"Giving the ladies a small tour of the ground floor" Aaron replied. Jareth walked over to them, his face pulled into an angry frown.

"Get them out of here. Take them home" Jareth said. He looked at Sarah and nodded towards her. "Especially her."

"Jareth—" Aaron said. Sarah's face slowly fell into a frown.

"Clean slate, Aaron. Don't ruin it" Jareth said heading back to his waiting opponent.

"Can I speak with you?" Sarah asked softly. Aaron and Tess headed towards the door. Sarah held up her pointer-finger and took a step towards the fencers. Jareth stood at a mark on the floor and saluted his opponent with his sword. "Can we speak?"

"I am busy" Jareth said brusquely. Sarah's shoulders drooped and she left the room. Before the door was even shut, the metallic clank of the swords began.

* * *

Aaron, Tess, and Sarah went out the castle gardens. Aaron and Tess walked together and treaded along the graveled path. Sarah looked around for Hoggle, but didn't see him or his cart. Aaron and Tess were walking by a section of daisies. Sarah was sure they wouldn't mind her looking for her friend.

Sarah wandered the spanse of yard between the patio and garden, hoping to find the dwarf she missed. The castle gardens were partially separated from the castle by tall, narrow cypress trees that occasionally had spaces filled with strange purple-leafed trees and flowers. Sarah followed the garden division and came across a small garden shed. It was a stone building that looked old, but firm. Sarah peeked through one of the dirty windows and saw that it was empty.

"Hoggle?" Sarah called out. She looked around the shed and across the yard, but didn't see anyone. The breeze carried a sweet aroma of flowers and the local fauna created a relaxing natural melody among the garden and grounds. Sarah headed for an area that had a large sign reading 'Orchard'.

The orchard was made up of peach trees. The trunks all seemed to rise about five feet from the ground before outstretching into an assortment of branches. The leaves were bright green and the fruit a fuzzy ménage of red, orange, and yellow. Sarah inhaled the sweet smell and wandered down the orchard aisle.

"Hoggle? Are you here?" Sarah called out as she moved between the trees. She crossed a few more rows of trees, not finding her friend. A peach hung near her head. She reached out and touched it. It felt soft and fuzzy, and smelled perfectly ripe. She gave a slight twist and the fruit popped off of the branch.

"That's stealing" A familiar voice said from behind her. Sarah's eyes widened and she turned around. Jareth stood near a tree watching her with a blank face. He was still in his fencing outfit, but didn't have his sword or mask with him. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes" Sarah said firmly. "I wanted to apologize for before."

"Which part?" Jareth asked.

"Everything" Sarah said. She gestured with her hands, not daring to take a bite with Jareth watching her. "I…" Her eyes looked around, searching for answers. "I completely misunderstood what was going on and I acted…I was rude. I'm very sorry." Jareth didn't move and didn't say anything. Sarah took a deep breath and flicked her head to get a strand of hair out of her face. "I'll just leave. Sorry."

"The peach" Jareth said before Sarah could turn away. She looked at the fruit, then held it out to him. He didn't take the fruit, but he looked directly at it. "You can't take it back with you. These peaches are special. If you're going to eat it, eat it here."

"Oh" Sarah muttered. "Will it do anything to me?"

"Would you like it to?" Jareth asked. Sarah heard the lightness in his voice, but his face was still as hard as ever.

"I would prefer it didn't right now" Sarah answered. Jareth shrugged.

"Perhaps later" Jareth said. Jareth's eyes fell upon Sarah and it made her want to squirm.

"I was listening to Tess and Aaron" Sarah said. She brushed her fingers over the fuzzy skin of the peach as she talked. "They assured me that you had no ill intentions and that you just…uh…"

"Wanted a dinner date?" Jareth finished. Sarah nodded 'yes'. "I thought I would ask, but it seems as though it was merely a silly thought." He gestured with his hand the direction of the orchard entrance. "The entrance is that way. I'll walk you back to the gardens."

Sarah followed Jareth through the trees towards the entrance. Jareth held a branch out of the way for her and she graced him with a small smile. By the time they got to the shed, Sarah had made up her mind.

"I'll have dinner with you" Sarah said. "It's the least I can do to apologize for myself."

Jareth stopped in his tracks, but didn't look at her. His hands clenched into light fists, then relaxed. "I would be delighted to have your company."

He walked back to the castle without checking if she was following him. Jareth slipped back into the castle without a glance back at Sarah.

* * *

 **NOTE: Hope you like it! I didn't want you all to think I would just leave Sarah as a brat.**


	11. Chapter 11

**NOTE: This is for all you romance hounds out there...**

* * *

The gravel crunched under Aaron's boots as he plucked a long stemmed flower and twirled it in his fingers. Tess was leaning against the large trunk of a maple tree. Its twisted branches held an air of morbidity to the serene castle gardens. Aaron knew how it looked in the fall with its leaves turning deep red, like blood. He had never found comfort with maple trees, by the looks of it Tess was not at peace either.

"What is on your mind?" Aaron asked moving over to her. Tess was without her cardigan and her hair was tied up in a messy bun on her head. She had a distant look on her face.

"Just thinking" Tess replied. Aaron leaned against the tree beside her. He could almost feel her inner-conflict. He recognized the looks and the expressions that she had presented since they had woken up and dressed. Growing up with numerous sisters gave him some basic insight on the female kind.

"We should talk about us" Aaron said. Tess's eyes snapped to his. "We do live in two separate worlds and everything."

"I was thinking about that" Tess replied. Her voice was cold compared to his. "Perhaps our earlier indiscretion should be forgotten."

"I've never been inclined to forget such things" Aaron replied keeping the warmth to his voice. Tess took a deep breath and walked away from the tree. Aaron easily caught up with her. "You seemed to enjoy things earlier."

"That has nothing to do with it" Tess replied. "It's just as you said. We're from different worlds, we probably want different things, and with my luck you probably have some major flaw that I am not seeing right now."

"A major flaw?" Aaron asked with an outraged guffaw.

"No one ever thinks that ****they**** have a major flaw. Starting uprisings against your brother could be a major flaw. See? Flaw." Tess replied. Aaron stepped in front of her and held her shoulders to stop her from walking. The flower he had been hold was now being crushed between them.

"I am not like the others that came before me" Aaron told her. His voice dropped into a whisper. "We will just go slowly. Give me a chance before you disregard me." He silently pleaded with her until he spoke. "Please, Tess."

She bit her lip and her good hand clenched, then unclenched. She gave him a nod 'yes'. Aaron brushed a hand against her cheek and smiled. He stepped back to give her space. Tess took a couple of steps down the garden path when she stopped and looked back at Aaron.

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find paper and a pen, would you?" Tess asked. Her fingers on her right hand fidgeted.

"There should be something in the desk in our room" Aaron replied.

"The room, right" Tess said lightly. She wandered off talking to herself. Aaron could hear a little bit that sounded like "of course it's in the writing desk in our room. Writing instruments are in writing desks." Aaron waited for her to leave the garden before heading for the castle himself. Birds were singing, keeping his heart lighter than it should have been.

"Aaron!" Sarah called out when she noticed Aaron stepping up to the patio. He waited for her. She was finishing up a peach as she approached.

"Don't let Jareth see you with that" Aaron said. Sarah took the last bite and tossed the pit into the flowers. "Those peaches are his pride and joy."

"It was delicious" Sarah said with a smile. "He knows I had it." She caught up with him and they crossed the patio together. "I've never had a peach that was so flavorful."

"Jareth has been manipulating those plants for a very long time in order to create the 'perfect peach'. I've seen him throw people in oubliettes for taking a peach without permission" Aaron said. He held the door open for Sarah.

"Why doesn't he just use his magic to change them?" Sarah asked. Aaron led the way towards the stairs that would take them to their rooms.

"Magic is only a short term solution. If you want to create a plant that you think is perfect, you must do it by hand" Aaron told her. "He's been working on it since he was in his teens."

"Does that mean that Jareth is a botanist?" Sarah asked.

"No" Aaron replied. They began to climb the stairs to the second floor. "He just dabbles in botany. By your world's standards, he is more of a jack-of-all-trades."

"Where's Tess?" Sarah asked. Aaron paused in his steps, only briefly before carrying on.

"She headed for the room" Aaron replied. "I've watched her for some time now." Sarah raised an eyebrow and gave him a look. "As an owl." They walked down the hall, passing the bedroom doors. "I caught sight of Tess one day when I was trying to peddle that damned book for Jareth. I went back to the same spot the next day at the same time and there she was. It went on like that for a few months. Most days she showed up."

"Did you tell her this?" Sarah asked.

"No, not really" Aaron said. They stopped by an alcove with a window. Above the window was a work of stained glass that featured roses and an owl. "She is pushing me away and I've barely had time to even stand before her."

Sarah nodded in understanding. "You are telling me that you want to be involved with Tess Fulton?" She pursed her lips. "Really?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Aaron asked. "She's lovely, intelligent, she's tough, and she is very independent."

"I know a little about Tess Fulton" Sarah said. She leaned against the cold alcove wall. "She's written a handful of books that have all sold pretty well. The last three were on the bestseller list." Aaron looked out the window while Sarah was speaking. "I read an article from maybe ten years ago. I had just started high school. Anyway, in the article she told the reporter that she didn't believe in love for herself, but thought it was great for characters in a book." Aaron rubbed his chin. "I don't think she's naturally romantically inclined. I've never heard of her being involved with anyone."

"In your world, Tess is a popular figure?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah" Sarah replied. "Not the most famous or anything, but I think one of her books is in the works for being turned into a movie. She's getting recognition."

"She lives incredibly simple for being so well known" Aaron said. Admiration and appreciation was apparent in his voice. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"We discussed her in one of my writing classes" Sarah said. "She's a bit controversial when it comes to her personal philosophies."

"I think I understand what you're saying" Aaron said. He stood up straight. "Callea. Thank you, Sarah."

"You're welcome" Sarah replied. He left the alcove, heading for his shared room. Sarah watched as he barged into the room he was sharing with Tess.

Aaron burst into the room and stood as prim as any noble before Tess. Tess watched him and her hand never stopped its scrawl of the paper. She glanced at the paper, finished her sentence, and pulled herself from the paper.

"I'm taking off for awhile" Aaron told her. "I am not sure when I will return."

Aaron walked over to the balcony doors and opened one of them. Tess swiveled in her seat to watch him. "Where are you going?"

"I have some business aboveground" Aaron said. In one smooth move Aaron took a step onto the balcony and transformed into an owl. Tess stood up and watched him take off, flying away from the castle.

* * *

Jareth ascended the stairs to the second floor and hurried down to the hall to next flight of stairs. He was still in his fencing garb and was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Towards the end of the hall, Sarah stepped out of the small window alcove and looked a little surprised to see him. Jareth stopped. Her smile faded from her face.

"Jareth" Sarah said in surprise and acknowledgement.

"The proper way to address me would be 'Your Highness' proceeded by calling me 'sir' or 'sire'" Jareth said. "Especially if you aren't prone to liking me."

He continued past her, rounding the corner and taking the next flight of stairs up.

"Yes, sir" Sarah said under her breath.

* * *

Before dinner, Sarah found a simple red satin dress on the bed in her room and a pair of simple black ballet flats next to it. Sarah had spent her afternoon searching for Hoggle, but he was nowhere to be found. Questions had been piling up in her head about this area of the labyrinth. Sarah picked up the dress and held it up to herself.

 _Of course it would be my size_ , Sarah thought. She laid it back on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. She didn't shower as much as rinse off. She kept her hair dry and the water hot. After the strangest day, or night, the heat and steam were satisfying. She climbed out of the shower and toweled off. She wasn't sure what time it was, in her world or the world she was currently in. She wrapped the towel around herself and headed for the bed to begin getting dressed.

The dress fit, but was exceedingly simple. Despite the bold red color it was in a fairly conservative style with a fitted bodice and high neck, a full skirt that fell just below her knees, and ¾ sleeves. Sarah used the vanity mirror to examine herself. It wasn't her usual style, but it wasn't terrible. She grabbed her hair and held it up from her neck. It looked better up. She wound her hair into a loose bun. Sarah was without a hair tie and simply used the pencil next to the journal to pin her hair in place.

 _Knock, knock_. The tapping came from the door. Sarah stepped into the flats and went to answer it.

"Come with me" A small goblin said before Sarah even had the door fully open. Sarah stepped out and followed the goblin. It was one of the first goblins she had seen since she had been brought here. During her wanderings she had spied a few from a distance, but the area of the castle that she had been in was free of them.

"Are there many goblins in the castle?" Sarah asked as she hurried to keep up with the small creature.

"In parts" The goblin replied. The goblin took her around to the far end of the castle, down a flight of narrow stairs, into the Escher room where they went up a stairwell and through a door, and finally down an old hallway that had no windows and no doors, except for the set at the very end. The goblin jumped up and opened the door for Sarah. As soon as she stepped into the room, the door shut behind her.

The room was dark, except for a table that was lit up by a chandelier that was covered in drip-dried wax and strands of glass orbs. There were a few candles on the small table, nestled near a cluster of green grapes. Jareth stood behind one of the golden chairs. He was dressed in dark grey clothes and a simple royal blue frock coat.

"Sarah" Jareth said with a slight bow. Sarah returned the bow before it occurred to her that she probably should have curtsied.

"Your Highness" Sarah replied. She moved to her seat and sat down.

"You look lovely" Jareth said softly. He took his seat as soon as she sat. "The red makes you look like Snow White."

"Thank you" Sarah said. A waif of a girl emerged from the dark. Her skin was golden and she had in her hands a bottle of wine. She quietly filled their glasses. "Is blue your favorite color?"

"Why would you ask that?" Jareth asked. The golden girl disappeared into the shadows. As soon as she was gone Jareth took a sip from his wine glass.

"I just remember you wearing a bit of blue when I was here last time" Sarah replied. She reached for her glass and smelled the wine before trying it. As far as Sarah could tell, it smelled like a chardonnay. Like many things in his kingdom, the wine had a light peach flavor. Jareth was watching her, blatantly watching her. "Aaron told me that you have been growing that orchard of peaches for a long time."

"It is a hobby of mine" Jareth confirmed. He set his glass down and rested a wrist on the table edge. "How did it taste?"

"It was good" Sarah said. Jareth waved a hand.

"No, no, no" Jareth said. "You're a writer. Describe it to me. I would like to know what you tasted, felt, thought…"

"Oh" Sarah smiled and accepted the small challenge presented to her. "I could smell the peach before I even bit into it. I just thought it smelled like an orchard of ripe peaches. When I plucked it, I thought I smelled a hint of…vanilla and cream? Is that even possible?"

"I suppose it is" Jareth replied.

"It was soft" Sarah said. "You showed up and I couldn't help but rub my thumb over the skin of the peach. It was soft like…delicate skin." Sarah continued with a smirk as she noticed how intently Jareth was listening to her. "I couldn't help but think of lips brushing soft, delicate skin. It was more of an image than a thought." She paused for a small sip of wine. "I didn't take a bite of the peach until you left. I flicked my tongue on the skin before taking the first bite and that first bite was oddly crisp for being so juicy." It took Jareth a moment to grasp what Sarah had said and how sensual she was making it sound. "That peach reminded me of absolute delight. It tasted like there was cinnamon and vanilla, but not in a sweet way." She held up her wine glass. "In the same way this wine has peach tones to it."

"Is it safe to say that you liked it?" Jareth asked in a soft hungry tone.

"It was the best peach I've ever had" Sarah replied. Jareth leaned back in his chair.

"You describe the peach well. Thank you" Jareth told her. The golden girl returned with a cart. She quietly pushed it over to them. She placed two covered plates before them and removed the silver covers. Steaming roasted vegetables, some kind of roasted meat, and something that looked like a rice pilaf made Sarah's mouth water. The golden girl retreated again.

"You were wrong earlier" Sarah said as she spread her cloth napkin over her lap. Jareth glanced at her before picking up his fork and spearing some vegetables. "I don't dislike you. You just…you frighten me sometimes."

"Frighten-?" Jareth said. His face drooped into a passive frown.

"Most of my memories of you come from when I was 15 years old" Sarah said. She had a forkful of the rice pilaf and finally took the bite when she stopped talking. Jareth looked perplexed and turned his focus on his food. Sarah ate quietly and slowly. Jareth matched her pace with royal grace and remained silent.

"You're upset" Sarah stated. They finished their food and the golden girl returned to collect their plates.

"Upset over what?" Jareth asked. "The pity dinner we are having or perhaps your feelings of fear towards me?"

"This is not a pity dinner" Sarah said quickly. "I don't have pity dinners with anyone. This is our dinner date that you wanted and you're not being very gentlemanly."

Jareth leaned back and scoffed. "Ridiculous."

"You didn't talk at all while we ate" Sarah stated. "You became upset and pouted."

"I'm a king. I do not pout" Jareth said. Sarah nodded and placed her napkin on the table. She stood up. "What are you doing?"

"Your Majesty, the food was delicious and the wine was lovely" Sarah said. "Have a pleasant evening."

Sarah turned and headed for the dark area where she came in. All she found was wall. She touched the wall and felt the ornate wall covering, but the door had vanished.

"Do you only fear me?" Jareth asked from behind her. His voice wavered somewhere between confusion and slight anger. Sarah turned around. She could only make out his outline with the candles from the table illuminating space behind him. She felt her heart race just slightly.

"You have a kind side" Sarah said softly. She was afraid that if she spoke louder, Jareth would hear a quiver in her voice. "You like to hide it behind a stoic facade."

"A stoic facade" Jareth repeated. He stepped closer until he was leaning one hand against the wall, trapping her. "I like that." Sarah's cheeks blushed slightly at his closeness. Like his brother, Jareth could see nearly perfectly in the near-dark. "Tell me what I can do to win your favor."

"I can't even see you in this darkness" Sarah whispered.

Sarah gasped when she felt his breath on her cheek. "You don't need to see to tell me."

Jareth gently pressed his lips to hers. The slow, gentle nature of the kiss ilicited a noise from Sarah and Jareth groaned in return. Jareth's free hand slid to Sarah's waist, pulling her body towards his. The hand that was braced along the wall fell to cup Sarah's cheek. His gloved hand had a delicate touch. He felt Sarah's hands on his chest. One clenched his coat while the other snaked up to his neck.

"Sarah" Jareth whispered. He left her lips, trailing kissed along her jaw and finding a tender spot on her neck. He took her hand that was balled up in his coat and raised it to his mouth. He kissed and nipped at the tender inside flesh of her wrist. Sarah made a soft noise that drew Jareth back to her lips. Jareth ran on instinct when he felt Sarah demanded a deeper kiss.

He had barely been aware that he had done much of anything until he felt himself lower Sarah onto a bed, her bed. Sarah pushed his coat from his shoulders and he obliged in taking it off. Jareth pushed up her dress enough so he could rest between her legs while he kissed her. He resisted the urge to tear at the dress. Instead he ran a gloved hand along her leg until he reached her hip.

Sarah's fingers deftly danced along Jareth's vest, unbuttoning it, and reached for his shirt to undo the buttons there as well. Jareth bent his head to Sarah's side and lightly bit her through the dress along her ribs. Sarah moaned and Jareth pushed himself up. He removed his vest and shirt; excitement filled him as Sarah watched him with devouring eyes. In the room, the light from the moon outside was plenty for both of them.

"Will you have me Sarah?" Jareth asked. She sat up and ran her hands over his bare chest. His usual horned pendant remained.

"Yes" Sarah whispered. She reached her side and unzipped her dress. Jareth gathered the skirt of the dress and pulled the dress from her body, leaving her pale skin to be covered by the moonlight.

"You're absolutely stunning" Jareth said before kissing her and pushing her back down to the bed. With her help his pants and boots were removed. He whispered into her ear "You're beautiful."

He ran his gloved hands over her. He was delighted to find that she had neglected to wear panties as his hands ran from her waist to her thigh. He groaned into her neck. Sarah's hands ran along Jareth's back, keeping him close to her.

When he slid into her, he whispered "My lovely beauty."


End file.
